Slow and easy, Buehrle mows down Twins

After Saturday's victory over the Twins, Ozzie Guillen was making his usual rounds through the White Sox' clubhouse when he was halted by a chest smack from Mark Buehrle.

The manager and player laughed and went about their business.

The horseplay between the two continued Sunday. As Guillen took Buehrle out of the game with one out in the seventh inning, he did so with typical aplomb.

"(Guillen) was asking me how I do it," Buehrle said after his brilliant outing in the Sox' 6-1 win over Minnesota. "He said, 'I looked up there in the first inning and I saw a pitch at 78 miles an hour. I don't know how you get people out.'

"We're always joking around with each other, having fun."

With their second straight win over the rival Twins, the Sox are having a lot more fun than they were Friday, when they fell 12-5 to Minnesota while losing their third straight.

"We didn't want to lose three in a row at home, but obviously we're going to go on winning streaks and losing streaks," Buehrle said after holding Minnesota to 1 run on 2 hits over 61/3 innings.

"But I think everybody's getting in the groove. Everybody's kind of finding their spot in the batting order, the pitchers, the bullpen. Overall, I think we're happy with where we're at."

All kidding aside, Guillen was extremely happy with Buehrle's performance Sunday.

In the season opener against Kansas City on Tuesday and through much of spring training, Buehrle tried pumping fastballs past hitters and paid the price.

Sticking around 78 mph might inspire laughter, but the 30-year-old pitcher has made a nice living taking the slow road.

"It's awesome to see Mark throw that way and have the movement he had," catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. "We keep telling guys velocity's not that important and it's more about movement.

"Today he bought it and basically made one mistake, the home run to Delmon Young. Other than that, he was pretty darn good."

So good that, after Young's solo home run with one out in the second inning, Buehrle retired 15 straight Twins before calling it an afternoon.

"He wasn't overthrowing," Guillen said. "It was another typical game from him. I think when Buehrle doesn't feel like Superman on the mound, he pitches better.

"He was throwing as lot of strikes. They're going to put the ball in play with him, a lot of groundballs. It was a pretty good game for him."

And it was another all-around solid effort from the Sox.

Jim Thome put the White Sox in front for good in the sixth inning with a 2-run homer off Minnesota starter Nick Blackburn, and Jermaine Dye hit his first homer of the season, a solo shot in the eighth.

Dewayne Wise had another 2-hit game batting out of the No. 9 spot, and Josh Fields reached base safely for the sixth straight game while continuing to resemble a competent No. 2 hitter.

And after Buehrle, relievers Octavio Dotel, Scott Linebrink and Bobby Jenks all shut the Twins down.

"Our starting pitching has been outstanding," Pierzynski said. "We haven't hit the way we'd like to, but the last couple days it's gotten a lot better.

"We've had some better at-bats. And some guys that got off to slow starts have gotten it going, Carlos (Quentin), Alexei (Ramirez). We played a couple good teams.

"To get out of here 3-3 after the middle of the homestand we had, it's a good sign."