Thu May 8 00:51:37 2008

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Gomez hits for cycle; Twins trounce White Sox

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Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Carlos Gomez completed a cycle, and Livan Hernandez took a shutout into the ninth inning, as the Minnesota Twins took a 13-1 win over the Chicago White Sox in a delayed game.

After foul weather set back the start time by several hours, Gomez notched Minnesota's first cycle since Kirby Puckett's on August 1, 1986, and the first of his career.

Meanwhile, Hernandez (5-1) threw his 44th career complete game, giving up one run on nine hits Twins, who lost the opener of this three-game set but have won six of seven.

Nick Punto finished 2-for-5 with five RBI, while Mike Redmond went 2-for-4 with three runs batted in for Minnesota. Punto, Redmond, and Michael Cuddyer each doubled.

In Tuesday's series opener, Chicago's Gavin Floyd took a no-hitter into the ninth inning, but the tables were turned Wednesday. White Sox starter Mark Buehrle (1-4) was roughed up for seven runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Ehren Wassermann was also touched for five runs on four hits in one-third of an inning of relief.

A.J. Pierzynski went 3-for-4, while Jermaine Dye hit his fifth homer of the season for Chicago, which has lost seven of eight.

In the top of the ninth, with the Twins holding a seven-run cushion, Gomez -- who homered in the first, tripled in the fifth and doubled in the sixth -- led off and hit the ball back up the middle. The ball deflected off Wassermann's glove and went to short, but the throw was low and not in time, and Gomez was called safe to complete the feat.

It also started a Minnesota rally, as Cuddyer and Delmon Young each hit a bases-loaded single that plated a run apiece, and Redmond drove in a pair with a bases-loaded double to push the Twins' lead to 11-0.

Punto hit his first triple of the season to clear the bases of Young and Redmond, and officially turn the game into a blowout.

While Gomez had already completed the cycle, Hernandez was working on a complete game shutout. Dye quickly ended it by blasting the ball deep over the center field wall with one out.

Hernandez ran into more trouble, as the White Sox loaded the bases with three singles. But the Minnesota starter got Juan Uribe to fly out and Alexei Ramirez to ground out, ending the game.

Gomez was the spark plug for the Twins early on, as he launched a lead-off homer to left to start the game. In the fifth, he tripled with two outs to drive in Matt Tolbert and put the Twins up 2-0.

A pair of singles, off the bats of Craig Monroe and Justin Morneau, started a big rally in the sixth. Cuddyer grounded out to advance the runners, and Buehrle intentionally walked Young to load the bases.

Redmond plated a run with a sacrifice fly, and then Buehrle re-loaded the bases with another walk, though it was unintentional.

Punto delivered with a double to left that cleared the bases, and Gomez followed that up with a double of his own that pushed Minnesota's lead to 7-0. Buehrle's day was then done, and the White Sox starter could be seen slamming a baseball bat on the dugout floor in frustration.

Game Notes

The Twins had 16 hits; Monroe and Cuddyer each had two...Hernandez threw 121 pitches...Nick Swisher went 2-for-4 for Chicago...Thursday's rubber match features Minnesota's Kevin Slowey pitching against John Danks for the White Sox.