Minneapolis, MN – Adam Dunn recorded his 35th career multi- home run game and finished with five RBI, and Dylan Axelrod picked up his first win of the season as the Chicago White Sox pounded the Minnesota Twins, 9-4, to take the rubber match of a three-game set at Target Field.
Alex Rios finished with three hits and three runs scored for the White Sox, winners of three of four overall and 15 of their last 19 at Target Field. Dayan Viciedo added two hits, including a two-run homer, and Jeff Keppinger also drove in two runs in the victory.
Axelrod (1-3) gave up three runs on nine hits and struck out four over 5 1/3 innings.
Josh Willingham drove in two runs and Eduardo Escobar supplied a solo home run for the Twins, who saw starter Mike Pelfrey (3-4) yield five runs and eight hits over four-plus innings.
"For Pelfrey it's an ongoing process," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "At times he's getting on top of the ball sinking good at other times the ball is kind of flat across the zone. When that happens they'll end up making him pay for it."
Holding a one-run edge in the seventh, Paul Konerko and Conor Gillaspie hit back-to-back singles to take Minnesota reliever Brian Duensing out of the game. Josh Roenicke took the hill and forced Viciedo to pop out. Keppinger then smacked a two run double to left to give the White Sox a 7-4 advantage.
Dunn's eighth inning two-out, two-run shot deflated the hosts. Rios drew a walk to preserve the inning and Dunn followed with a blast into the left- center field bullpen to account for the final margin.
"I'm happy with the direction where the balls went," Dunn said. "I've gotten pitches to hit and had been fouling them off, but the last couple of nights haven't fouled them off."
Chicago turned a one-run lead in the fifth into a three-run edge with Dunn's two-run double and Viciedo's sacrifice fly.
Following Dunn's two-bagger, which scored Rios and Alexei Ramirez, Anthony Swarzak entered the game and struck out Konerko, but was forced to intentionally walk Gillaspie to load the bases. Viciedo followed with a deep fly to center to give the White Sox a 5-2 lead.
Minnesota fought back in the sixth by tacking on two runs off Matt Lindstrom. Jamey Carroll plated Pedro Florimon with an RBI single up the middle. Joe Mauer responded with a double and Willingham scored Carroll with a groundout to short to bring the Twins within 5-4.
Rios poked a two-out single in the third, then stole second, before Dunn followed with two-run blast to deep center, tying the game at 2-2.
One inning later, Viciedo clubbed a leadoff homer to right center to put the White Sox ahead 3-2.
In the second, Escobar drove Axelrod's 1-1 offering over the right field wall to give the Twins a 2-0 edge. Willingham's RBI single in the first put the Twins on the board.
Game Notes
Rios hit his 50th career triple in the first inning, extending his hitting streak to 10 games ... The White Sox last won two straight to open up the month of May ... Mauer is batting .446 (25 for 56) during a 14- game hitting streak, while Justin Morneau, who turned 32 today, is batting .422 (19 for 45) while hitting safely in 11 straight.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.