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Sox back to losing ways against Twins

CHICAGO — Anthony Swarzak dominated over six innings, and the Minnesota Twins got back to beating the White Sox with a 6-3 victory Sunday at US. Cellular Field.

The Twins shook off a 4-3 loss on Saturday that snapped a nine-game winning streak against the Sox dating to last season, getting an RBI single by Drew Butera and run-scoring double by Jason Repko in the fourth before tacking on three more while knocking out Jake Peavy (4-3) in the fifth.

That was more than enough for Swarzak (2-2), who simply dominated while filling in for the injured Scott Baker (strained right flexor muscle). The 25-year-old right-hander allowed just four hits and one run while striking out five and walking two as Minnesota beat the Sox for the 29th time in 36 games.

Peavy ran into trouble with two outs in the fourth when he walked Rene Tosoni and Tsuyoshi Nishioka before Butera and Repko came through, making it 2-0, and he didn’t make it out of the fifth as the White Sox lost for the fifth time in six games.

Alexi Casilla and Joe Mauer started that rally with singles, putting runners on first and third before Michael Cuddyer made it a three-run game with a sacrifice fly to deep left. Mauer moved up on that play and advanced to third on a single by Danny Valencia before Tosoni drove him in with a single past a diving shortstop Alexei Ramirez, knocking Peavy out of the game.

Will Ohman came in and the lead hit 5-0 on an odd inning-ending double play, when Valencia scored on Nishioka’s grounder to second and Tosoni got caught off the base.

It was another rough outing for Peavy, whose ERA is now at 5.27 after he allowed five runs and 10 hits. He walked two and struck out two, giving him 1,501 in his career.

The Twins, meanwhile, couldn’t have asked for more from Swarzak, who was making his fourth start of the season. He allowed a leadoff single to Juan Pierre in the first and didn’t allow another hit until Alex Rios singled with one out in the fifth.

The White Sox finally scored with two out in the sixth when Paul Konerko singled in Pierre, and got two more in the seventh when A.J. Pierzynski and Gordon Beckham drove RBI doubles after Rios led off with a walk against Alex Burnett.

After Mark Teahen struck out, Glen Perkins came in and retired Pierre and Ramirez before working a scoreless eighth. Matt Capps then worked the ninth for his 15th save in 21 chances.

Before the game, the White Sox placed catcher Ramon Castro on the 15-day disabled list because of a broken right hand and index finger and recalled catcher Tyler Flowers from Triple-A Charlotte.

White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper said Gavin Floyd, Edwin Jackson and Peavy will likely start the three games at Detroit following the All-Star break, with Mark Buehrle, Phil Humber and John Danks pitching at Kansas City. That’s assuming Danks, out with a strained right oblique muscle, suffers no setbacks. He allowed a pair of homers and two runs in a rehab start for Charlotte on Sunday, and Cooper said he will make another one before rejoining the rotation.