Twins’ Gomez hits for the cycle in win

CHICAGO -- Carlos Gomez became the first Twins player since Kirby Puckett 22 years ago to hit for the cycle, Livan Hernandez (5-1) took a shutout into the ninth inning and Minnesota defeated the Chicago White Sox, 13-1, on Wednesday night.

One game after Chicago’s Gavin Floyd lost a no-hitter in the ninth, Gomez homered against Mark Buehrle (1-4) on the game’s third pitch. He added a run-scoring triple in the fifth, doubled in a run in the sixth and had an infield single to lead off a six-run ninth. The ball deflected off reliever Ehren Wasserman, forcing a rushed throw by shortstop Alexei Ramirez.

That made Gomez -- acquired from the New York Mets in the Johan Santana trade -- the eighth Twins player to hit for the cycle and the first since Puckett on Aug. 1, 1986, against Oakland. He was also the first player to hit for the cycle against the White Sox since Oakland’s Mike Blowers on May 18, 1998. Gomez was four for six, drove in three runs and scored two.

Nick Punto had five runs batted in, three coming on a double that highlighted a five-run six that made it 7-0.