By Mark Gonzales, Chicago Tribune –
MINNEAPOLIS — The Chicago White Sox achieved a winning six-game trip Wednesday with a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins behind a strong Jake Peavy outing.
Tyler Flowers, starting in place of A.J. Pierzynski, hit a single and scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning.
(PHOTO: Minnesota Twins Jamey Carroll (8) congratulates Danny Valencia (22) on his homer in the second inning at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Wednesday, August 1, 2012. The White Sox won, 3-2. )
Flowers moved to second on a wild pitch by Scott Diamond, advanced to third on Orlando Hudson’s grounder and scored when Alejandro De Aza hit a hard grounder off Diamond for an infield hit.
Peavy (9-7) pitched eight innings of five-hit ball while striking out eight.
The Twins put the tying and winning runs in scoring position in the ninth, but Addison Reed induced Brian Dozier to fly to center to end the game and complete his 18th save.
The Sox posted a 10-9 record during a 19-game stretch in which they played 16 of 19 games on the road, winning four of the past six away from U.S. Cellular Field.
Danny Valencia snapped a 1-1 tie with a home run off Peavy with two out in the second, but the Sox tied the game in the fifth on singles by Alex Rios and Dayan Viciedo and a fielder’s choice by Flowers.
The Sox took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly by Adam Dunn, but the Twins tied it in the bottom of the inning on Ben Revere’s double, a throwing error by Peavy and a ground out by Joe Mauer.
The Sox head home to start a 10-game homestand starting Friday night against the Los Angeles Angels.
Hudson, made his first start since July 7 and hadn’t played since July 18. He started at second base and hit ninth in place of Gordon Beckham.
“I’m just giving Gordon (Beckham) a day off going into the off-day,” manager Robin Ventura said. “You get two things out of it. You give Gordon a rest, and Hud hasn’t played in a while.”
Beckham batted .188, but Ventura contended that Beckham was improving at the plate.
