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GAME LOG
CHICAGO (AP) -- The Chicago White Sox were looking for a breather after playing the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians for two weeks. They didn't get it.
|  | | After rolling past the Indians and Tigers, the White Sox couldn't decipher the Twins. |
James Baldwin lost his second straight start as Jacque Jones hit
a two-run homer to lead the Twins to a 7-4 victory Tuesday night.
"These are the teams you've got to be prepared for," Chicago's Frank Thomas said.
Baldwin (10-3), who started the year 7-0, gave up seven runs -- six earned -- 11 hits and five walks over six-plus innings.
"The league is starting to make adjustments to JB, and now is
the time for him to adjust to them," White Sox manager Jerry
Manuel said.
Baldwin is 1-2 in his last four starts, allowing 17 runs in 23
1/3 innings for a 6.56 ERA in that stretch.
Overall, his ERA rose from 3.56 to 3.88, still among the top six
in the American League.
"I'd like to have this one back," Baldwin said. "I think I
was too geared up, coming off Cleveland and New York. I went out
and just tried to do too much."
The loss was only the fourth in 22 games for the White Sox, who
are 18-6 in June.
Ron Coomer hit a two-run double and Cristian Guzman went 3-for-4
to spark the Twins, who have won four of their last six.
"I don't think it's 'good team, bad team,' " Twins closer Bob
Wells said. "Maybe it's something mentally about getting up for
good teams. I just think the guys came out to play baseball."
Joe Mays (4-9) won for the second time in six June starts,
giving up three runs and eight hits in 7 1-3 innings. He struck out
two.
The excitement came in the White Sox ninth.
"If you left early, you made a mistake," Twins manager Tom
Kelly said. "We sent the pitchers in to walk people to give the
people of Chicago and the surrounding area some entertainment. Then
we let Big Frank wrap a couple around the foul pole at 800 miles an
hour."
Then Kelly smiled.
"In all seriousness," he said. "We were fortunate to come out
on top."
After LaTroy Hawkins loaded the bases with one out, Eddie
Guardado retired Jose Valentin on a popup.
Thomas then pulled two balls foul by 12 feet on 3-2 pitches off
Wells, who walked in a run and retired Magglio Ordonez on a fly
ball to deep left on a 3-2 pitch, getting his fifth save in eight
chances.
"Those were kind of scary," Twins left fielder Matt Lawton
said.
"You don't want to give (Thomas) too many chances -- he's too good of a hitter," Wells said. "It was a little closer than I'd like."
Ray Durham doubled to lead off the Chicago first, advanced on
Valentin's sacrifice and scored on a wild pitch by Mays.
Baldwin escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first inning when he
got Russ Ortiz to hit into an inning-ending double play. But the
Twins sent 11 batters to the plate in the second and took a 5-1
lead on an RBI double by Marcus Jensen, Jones' two-run homer and
Coomer's two-run double.
Jay Canizaro hit an RBI double with one out in the third to make
it 6-1.
Ordonez hit a sacrifice fly to Guzman at shortstop in the third
to close to 6-2.
Ortiz was at second when Jensen hit a potential double play ball
and he scored on shortstop Jose Valentin's throwing error.
Ordonez doubled with one out in the eighth to chase Mays and,
after a wild pitch by LaTroy Hawkins, scored on Paul Konerko's
groundout.
Mays is 3-0 with a 2.43 ERA against the White Sox.
"I don't know why. I don't have a reason for it," Mays said.
"The air, the water. I wish I had an answer for it because I'd do
the same thing."
Game notes
Corey Koskie singled to lead off the second inning and extend his career-high hitting streak to 13 games. ... The Twins have 27 homers in their last 29 games. ... White Sox OF Chris
Singleton was a late scratch because of an upset stomach. ... A win
would have given the White Sox (48-28) their best start ever.
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Baseball Scoreboard
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Chi. White Sox Clubhouse
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Baltimore 6
Boston 3
Detroit 7
NY Yankees 6
Tampa Bay 11
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Minnesota 7
Chi. White Sox 4
Cleveland 12
Kansas City 1
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Texas 6
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Chicago Cubs 0
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