Sox hit the mark in first game at Target Field
MINNEAPOLIS - Good bye, Metrodome. Hello, Target Field.
In their first game at the rival Twins' new stadium, the White Sox made themselves feel right at home.
Not only did they bounce right back from their worst loss of the season, a 9-7 stinger to the Blue Jays, the Sox came away with one of their most impressive wins of the season, a 5-2 decision over the AL Central leaders.
"The way we played last week in Chicago, we have to win some games," White Sox starter Freddy Garcia said after limiting the Twins to 2 runs on 7 hits in 7 innings. "We had better at-bats, better pitching. Hopefully, we start playing better."
The Sox played one of their best all-around games in memory in the series opener, getting another big effort from Garcia (2-2), a 5-run fifth inning against Minnesota starter Kevin Slowey (4-3) and the surprisingly quick return of struggling closer Bobby Jenks.
"I think they showed up ready to play today," manager Ozzie Guillen said after the White Sox trimmed Minnesota's division lead to 7 games. "It's easy when you get hits and move around on the bases and you get good pitching. We got a couple of big hits. But we went through a month and a couple of weeks when we couldn't get anything done and you tend to lose confidence."
With Garcia shutting down Minnesota with an array of curveballs, sliders, cutters and the occasional fastball, the Sox broke out in the fifth inning with 5 runs on 7 hits.
All of the runs off Slowey came with two outs, starting with Alexei Ramirez's 2-run double and bolstered by another double by A.J. Pierzynski that also scored a pair.
"The biggest hit was Alexei's, getting the hit that gave us the lead," Pierzynski said. "It's big. It's a good win."
And it was a big save for Jenks, who blew a 7-5 lead against Toronto at U.S. Cellular Field on Sunday.
While Guillen never said Jenks was out for good as closer, he did say he'd take a look at different options.
But after Matt Thornton held the Twins down in the eighth inning, Jenks got the call again in the ninth.
Throwing mostly fastballs, Jenks did allow a one-out double to pinch-hitter Jim Thome, but he stranded pinch-runner Matt Tolbert at third base and got the save.
Guillen went to the mound after Thome's extra-base hit.
"I said, 'Throw strikes and whatever happens is my fault,' '' Guillen said. " 'I put you here. I show you how much confidence I have in you.' If that thing went wrong, I would have taken a lot of heat. But this ballclub is better if Bobby is our closer."
<p class="factboxheadblack">Scot Gregor's game tracker</p>
<p class="News">White Sox 5, Twins 2</p>
<p class="News"><b>Momentum changer I:</b> The Twins seemed to be in control of the game until third-base coach Scott Ullger sent Jason Kubel home in the fourth inning. He was thrown out by about 25 feet.</p>
<p class="News"><b>Momentum changer II:</b> With runners on first and second with one out in the fifth, Sox starter Freddy Garcia struck out Orlando Hudson and Joe Mauer.</p>
<p class="News"><b>Dead air:</b> The ball doesn't carry well in cold weather at Target Field. Just ask Justin Morneau, who crushed a ball in the eighth that barely made the center-field warning track. Gordon Beckham and A.J. Pierzynski also hit deep drives that were caught.</p>
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<li><a href="/story/?id=380100">Twins' new stadium a sight to behold<span class="date"> [5/11/10]</span></a></li>
<li><a href="/story/?id=380102">Beckham dropped to 8 spot in order<span class="date"> [5/11/10]</span></a></li>
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