Sox ride six-run sixth to victory
MINNEAPOLIS — Jake Peavy baffled Minnesota again, Dayan Viciedo and Adam Dunn homered, and the White Sox beat the Twins 9-2 on Sunday.
The White Sox scored six runs in the sixth inning to support Peavy (11-11) and stay ahead of Detroit in the AL Central.
The Tigers were playing Cleveland on Sunday and travel to Chicago for a makeup game on Monday. It will be the final time the two teams meet this season.
Joe Mauer homered in his return after missing five games with back spasms, but the Twins weren’t able to avoid the sweep and lost to Chicago for the 13th time in 16 games.
After Alexi Casilla’s double in the fifth made it 3-2, Dunn and Viciedo went deep off Scott Diamond (11-8) in the sixth to squash the Twins’ comeback attempt.
Dunn opened the inning with a towering solo shot that traveled 415 feet before finally falling into the first row of the upper deck in right field and bouncing back on the field.
Viciedo drove his 21st home run — and Chicago’s 192nd as a team — into the upper deck in left after Alex Rios tripled.
Chicago batted around and added three more unearned runs in the sixth, capped by Dunn’s RBI single.
Peavy allowed two runs and struck out six in six innings. The right-hander is 4-0 with a 1.73 ERA against the Twins since the All-Star break and 0-6 in eight starts against everyone else over that time.
After Mauer homered in the first, Peavy retired the next eight Twins hitters before Mauer doubled in the fourth.
Justin Morneau walked, but Peavy struck out Ryan Doumit and Chris Parmelee to end the threat and keep Chicago in front.
Following Monday’s makeup game, the White Sox travel to Kansas City for a three-game series with the Royals. Chicago has won just 10 of its last 22 games against Detroit and Kansas City.
Diamond has just one win in his last seven starts after getting off to a hot start.
After allowing a career-worst 10 hits in his last outing, Diamond surrendered six runs on seven hits in 5 1-3 innings on Sunday.
Minnesota is done playing Chicago, but can still help its rival out down the stretch. Six of the Twins’ final 15 games are against the Tigers.
Kevin Youkilis and Dewayne Wise each added two RBIs as the White Sox earned their ninth sweep and second over Minnesota.