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Minnesota holds on to beat Chicago 3-2

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CHICAGO (AP) - Nick Blackburn earned his first win in a month, Jason Kubel had a pair of RBIs and the Minnesota Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 3-2 Wednesday to sweep a brief two-game series behind some outstanding pitching.

Minnesota won the opener Tuesday night 1-0 when Francisco Liriano held the punchless and reeling White Sox hitless. Last-place Chicago has now lost 17 of 21 as it heads to the West Coast for a nine-game road trip.

Blackburn (2-4) followed up Liriano's gem by holding the White Sox to four hits and a run in 6 2/3 innings, including Alex Rios' solo homer in the third that tied the game at 1-1.

John Danks (0-5), a 15-game winner a year ago, gave up eight hits and three runs over eight innings for Chicago in taking yet another loss with little run support.

Minnesota forged ahead with two runs in the sixth inning.

Denard Span singled and Matt Tolbert reached on a bunt single when Chicago second baseman Omar Vizquel didn't cover first after third baseman Mark Teahen fielded the ball. Span moved to third on a fly ball and scored on Kubel's sacrifice fly, and after Michael Cuddyer was walked intentionally, Rene Tosoni delivered an RBI single to make it 3-1.

Chicago got an unearned run in the eighth when Alexei Ramirez hit a one-out double off Glen Perkins and moved to third on a passed ball before Adam Dunn walked. Matt Capps relieved and gave up Paul Konerko's sacrifice fly before retiring Carlos Quentin on a pop.

Capps gave up a single and hit a batter in the ninth before retiring Juan Pierre on a fly ball to end the game and get his fifth save in six chances.

The Twins struck with a first-inning run when Span walked, moved up on a sacrifice bunt and Kubel hit a two-out RBI single.

Blackburn opened with a win in his first start of the season April 3 and was winless in four starts since. In his last outing, he gave up eight hits and five earned runs in 3 1/3 innings against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Notes: Kubel, who homered Tuesday night for the only run, has 69 RBIs in 72 games against the White Sox. ... Drew Butera's fifth-inning hit snapped an 0-for-22 skid. ... Rios had three hits for Chicago, which is 1-9 in its last 10 home games. ... The game time was 2 hours, 30 minutes, or 21 minutes longer than Tuesday night.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)