Minneapolis, MN (Sports Network) - Denard Span and Justin Morneau each finished with a pair of hits and a run batted in, and Carl Pavano threw seven solid innings, as the Minnesota Twins edged the Chicago White Sox, 3-2, to earn a split in the brief two-game set at Target Field.
Delmon Young turned in a 3-for-4 game with two doubles and a run scored for Minnesota, which has won three of four. Pavano (4-3) allowed two runs on six hits, struck out four and walked one. Jon Rauch picked up his ninth save of the season with a perfect ninth inning.
Paul Konerko finished 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Juan Pierre had two hits and a run scored for the White Sox, who have dropped four of their last six. John Danks (3-2) was the hard-luck loser after surrendering seven hits and three runs with three strikeouts and as many walks in seven frames.
The White Sox put up a pair of runs in the first to grab the early edge. With runners on first and second, Pierre stole third and Alex Rios swiped second, and Pierre came in to score on Joe Mauer's throwing error. Konerko's RBI single up the middle made it 2-0.
Minnesota came back to even things in the third. Mauer's groundout to second scored Alexi Casilla, who got the inning started with a base hit, and Morneau singled to center to chase in another. The Twins were bidding for more, but with runners on first and second and two down, Jim Thome struck out looking.
Span put the Twins in front 3-2 with a two-out single in the fourth. Young reached with a leadoff double, advanced to third on a ground ball and crossed the plate two batters later on Span’s hit.
Brian Duensing and Matt Guerrier combined to throw a perfect eighth inning to bridge the gap for Rauch, who took over in the ninth, and retired the side in order to lock down the win.
Minnesota took two of three from the White Sox earlier in the year and was 12-6 in the season series a year ago...The Twins finished 6-3 on their nine- game homestand...Rios went 0-for-3 and had his 12-game hitting streak snapped in the process...Pavano improved to 4-2 in six career starts against the White Sox...Danks dropped to 4-6 in 15 lifetime starts versus Minnesota.