Triple Play, Big Rally Spark the White Sox

After his Minnesota Twins wound up on the wrong end of a triple play and lost despite scoring seven runs in the first inning, Manager Ron Gardenhire had one explanation.

“There must have been a full moon out there,” he said. “It was an ugly game on both sides.”

White Sox starter Mark Buehrle (4-2) became the first American League pitcher -- and second in major league history -- to win a game after giving up seven runs in the first inning, and Chicago turned a triple play in the sixth inning of its 9-7 victory over the Twins on Sunday.

The only other pitcher to win after giving up seven runs in the first was the St. Louis Cardinals’ Jack Powell, who did so against the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 29, 1900.

“Pretty amazing, but you’ve got to credit the offense for coming back,” Buehrle said.

The triple play was the major leagues’ first in more than a year.

Trailing 9-7, the Twins had runners on first and second in the sixth when Luis Castillo’s bunt popped up in the air. Paul Konerko charged in from first and made a shoestring catch, then threw to Tadahito Iguchi to get Shannon Stewart out at first, and Iguchi fired to Juan Uribe to get Nick Punto at second base. It was the first White Sox triple play since July 7, 2004, against the Angels. The Cardinals were the last team to turn a triple play, doing that on May 5, 2005, against the San Diego Padres, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“We were expecting a bunt, but we weren’t expecting a triple play,” said catcher A.J. Pierzynski, who hit one of Chicago’s three home runs off Twins starter Carlos Silva (2-6). “That was the first one I’ve seen live.”