Kubel Hits Slam, Twins Pummel White Sox

[April 10, 2008]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Jason Kubel hit a grand slam and drove in six runs, and the Minnesota Twins broke out on offense in pounding Chicago 12-5 and snapping the White Sox's five-game win streak on Wednesday night.

The 12 runs doubled their previous season high and were their most since they beat the White Sox 20-14 and 12-0 on July 6, 2007, at U.S. Cellular Field. After scoring more than four runs just once in their first eight games, the Twins led 7-0 after a five-run third in which they knocked out Chicago starter John Danks.

The White Sox tried to chip away at the lead one homer at a time, with Nick Swisher, Paul Konerko and Joe Crede each hitting solo drives against Minnesota's Scott Baker, but any shot of a comeback ended when Kubel went deep in the sixth.

The grand slam off Nick Masset was the third of Kubel's career and his first since the first game of that doubleheader last July, when he also drove in a career-high seven runs.

Brendan Harris had three hits and scored three runs for the Twins, who finished with 13 in all. Minnesota got two hits apiece from Joe Mauer, Kubel and Mike Lamb, who limped off the field after fouling a pitch off his right ankle in the ninth inning.

Baker (2-0) lasted five innings, allowing five hits while striking out seven and walking one.

The White Sox were on their longest win streak since taking five straight in August 2006, and they were feeling particularly good after Monday's home opener, when Crede hit a tiebreaking grand slam in the seventh to lift them to a 7-4 victory over Minnesota.

If that game had a vintage feel, so did this one. It felt like 2007 again, Chicago's 90-loss nightmare revisited.

Danks (0-1) allowed seven runs and seven hits while walking three.

Delmon Young's RBI single and Kubel's sacrifice fly gave the Twins a 2-0 lead in the first, and Danks' problems continued in the third, as Minnesota sent 10 batters to the plate.

Kubel had an RBI single with the bases loaded, and Danks walked Craig Monroe to force in another run and make it 4-0. Masset came in and promptly gave up an RBI single to Lamb, and Carlos Gomez added a bloop two-run double to right with two out that made it 7-0.

[Associated Press; By ANDREW SELIGMAN

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