White Sox Turn Tables on Twins

The only way for the Chicago White Sox to salvage a disappointing season is to finish ahead of the Minnesota Twins.

“These guys have had our number all year,” said Chicago’s Ray Durham after a 9-3 victory against the Twins on Thursday at Chicago. “A convincing win is satisfying, but it’s definitely not over yet.”

Carlos Lee hit a two-run homer, Paul Konerko drove in two runs and Durham had two hits and scored twice as Chicago tied the Twins for second in the American League Central.

“It’s nice to beat a team that has pretty much dominated us the whole season,” said White Sox Manager Jerry Manuel, whose club trailed the Twins by 15 games in May.

The Twins lead the season series, 12-4. The teams play three times at Minnesota to end the year.

The loss by the Twins dropped Cleveland’s magic number to three in the division.

“In all, a terrible day for us,” Twins’ Manager Tom Kelly said. “We haven’t had a game like this in quite some time.”

Magglio Ordonez and rookie Joe Crede each had two hits and two runs batted in for the White Sox in their final home game of the season.

Harold Baines made what was likely his last Comiskey Park appearance as a member of the White Sox. Fans gave Baines a standing ovation as he pinch hit in the seventh, and the 22-year veteran tipped his helmet before striking out looking against reliever Kyle Lohse.

Dan Wright (5-2) won his third consecutive decision, giving up two runs and five hits in a struggling 52/3 innings. He walked six, hit a batter and had two wild pitches. He struck out a career-best six.

Chicago took the lead in the third on Konerko’s two-run single off Brad Radke (13-11), and Lee’s 23rd homer made it 5-1. Radke went three innings, giving up five runs on six hits.

Baltimore 4, Boston 2--Rookie Sean Douglass (2-1) won his second consecutive start, giving up two runs and three hits in 51/3 innings at Boston. Willis Roberts got his sixth save, dropping the Red Sox one game above .500 at 76-75. The Red Sox have lost 19 of their last 24.

Cal Ripken went 0 for 2 with a walk and was hit by a pitch in his final Fenway Park appearance.

Tim Wakefield (8-12) gave up four runs in a sixth that include Tony Batista’s, go-ahead, two-run double.

Kansas City 8, Detroit 7--Carlos Febles, Carlos Beltran and Raul Ibanez homered in a four-run first inning as the Royals defeated the Tigers at Kansas City, Mo.

Mike MacDougal (1-0) earned his first big league victory. Making his second start in the majors, he gave up three earned runs and six hits before being pulled in the sixth.

Febles led off the first with a home run, and Beltran and Ibanez also connected off rookie Nate Cornejo (3-4). The Royals scored again in the inning when Joe Randa doubled and Mark Quinn singled.

Tampa Bay 5, Toronto 1--Toby Hall hit a go-ahead double in the eighth and Jared Sandberg followed with a thee-run double off Scott Eyre (0-2) at St. Petersburg, Fla.

Jesus Colome (2-2) gave up one hit in two scoreless innings as Tampa Bay played at home for the first time since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Toronto’s Carlos Delgado reached 100 RBIs for the fourth consecutive season with a solo homer.