Doumit's big hit leads Twins past White Sox
MINNEAPOLIS - The Minnesota Twins started out Tuesday night's game with a bang. They ended it with a flourish.
After squandering a 4-0 first inning lead, the Twins got a two-out, two-strike, two-run double by Ryan Doumit in the bottom of the eighth inning to get past the Chicago White Sox 7-5.
The winning rally came after Chicago relief pitcher Ramon Troncoso retired the first two batters in the eighth. He then walked Clete Thomas and allowed a single to Joe Mauer before facing Doumit.
"Hat's off to Joe and Clete for getting on base," said Doumit, who had a walk-off triple on June 1st against Seattle. "I just wanted to put the bat on the ball and put it in play somewhere, and I got a pitch up that I could extend on and put a good swing on it."
The loss was a bitter one for Chicago, which chipped away from an awful first inning and finally tied the score at 5-5 on an RBI single by Paul Konerko, his fourth hit of the game.
"It's a tough one," said White Sox manager Robin Ventura. "(We're) doing things, you end up fighting your way back. That earlier stuff cost you."
Chicago also had two runners tagged out on the basepaths, while their pitchers uncorked a pair of wild pitches and the Twins took advantage.
Jared Burton got his first win of the season despite giving up the tying run in the top of the eighth. Glen Perkins struck out two in a perfect ninth inning for his 17th save in 19 chances.
Twins starter Mike Pelfrey, who allowed four runs on ten hits in six-plus innings, remained winless since May 5th.
"It stinks that I got spotted a four-run lead and slowly gave it back," Pelfrey said.
Ramon Tronsoco (0-2) stopped a seventh-inning threat before allowing Doumit's double and was tagged with the loss.
Conor Gillaspie hit a two-run homer to spark the White Sox comeback, while Konerko had his first four-hit game since July 24, 2012, also against Minnesota.
"He's been having good at bats," said Ventura. "It's not surprising."
The Twins started fast with a four-run first inning. Mauer hit his seventh homer of the season with a runner on base, while Trevor Plouffe drove home two more with a bases-loaded single.
White Sox starting pitcher Dylan Axelrod was spared a quick hook when Oswaldo Arcia was thrown out at the plate to end the inning. Axelrod was able to settle down, at one time retiring eight straight batters.
Chicago cut the Twins' lead in half in the top of the second on Gillaspie's two-run homer. They climbed to within one run when Gordon Beckham came around on a fifth-inning fielder's choice. The White Sox ran their way out of a bigger inning when Alejandro De Aza was tagged out trying to get back to third base after rounding the bag on an infield hit.
NOTES: Thirty Twins minor leaguers and one team coach escaped injury when the bus they were in collided with an oncoming car near Jacksonville early Tuesday morning. The driver of the car, which was traveling south in the northbound lane on Interstate 295, was killed in the crash. The team boarded another bus and arrived safely in Elizabethton, Tenn., where they begin their rookie league season on Thursday. ... Five of Chicago's last six losses coming into Tuesday were by one run. ... Twins No. 1 draft pick (4th overall) Kohl Stewart arrived in Minneapolis on Monday for a physical exam, but has yet to meet with general manager Terry Ryan. ... Paul Konerko's second-inning double was just his seventh extra-base hit since May 2. ... This was the second straight game between the White Sox and Twins in which Axelrod started against Pelfrey. That was also the pitching matchup on May 15, when Chicago won 9-4 at Target Field.
