The Minnesota Twins lost for the seventh time in nine games 8-7 to the still red hot White Sox, and suffered through another terrible outing by their starting pitcher. Kevin Slowey was tagged for five runs on nine hits in three innings and Alex Burnett (1-2) gave up three more runs in relief.Juan Pierre had three hits and an RBI and Alex Rios added two hits and two RBI for the White Sox.Joe Mauer had three hits and three RBI and J.J. Hardy chipped in two hits and an RBI for Minnesota.These two teams were headed in opposite directions going into the break, with the White Sox going 25-5 to take a half-game lead in the division. It’s been a startling turnaround for a team that was 24-33 and 9½ games down on June 8.The White Sox scratched their way to a 4-0 lead early thanks to three sacrifice flies and Beckham’s solo homer that reached the second deck in left field.The Twins responded in the bottom of the second inning, scoring six runs on six hits, including Joe Mauer’s bases loaded double down the third baseline that gave them a 6-4 lead.But Danks settled down after that facing just one more batter than the minimum while the White Sox climbed back into the game. Beckham had an RBI-single in the fourth and A.J. Pierzynski’s two-run double highlighted a three-run fifth inning to put them back in the lead.In a role reversal, it was the Twins this time who committed the blunders to let the game slip away to the smarter, sharper White Sox.Denard Span popped up a bunt attempt to Danks in the fourth and Burnett balked home the tying run in the fifth when he never let his pitch to Mark Kotsay go.The Twins have just six wins in their last 20 games and will play this entire series without All-Star first baseman Justin Morneau, who was placed on the disabled list with a concussion.The biggest concern, though, is the starting pitchers, including Slowey, Nick Blackburn and Scott Baker, who have all been wildly inconsistent this year.
NOTES—Twins LHP Brian Duensing , one of their most valued relievers, was not available because of illness…..Rios’s single in the sixth inning was career hit No. 1,000…..Twins RF Jason Kubel went 1 for 5 with four strikeouts…..Gardenhire said Twins INF Matt Tolbert’s finger is still hurting and he will remain on the disabled list for the time being.