MINNEAPOLIS -- The Chicago White Sox punctuated their successful trip to Minnesota with a rout.
Carlos Lee had four hits and drove in six runs, and Miguel Olivo and Juan Uribe hit consecutive homers in an eight-run fourth inning to lead the White Sox over the Twins 17-7 Sunday.
"To come to Minnesota and play the way we did, it's just fun leaving this town," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said.
Aaron Rowand also had four hits, including a three-run homer, and scored four times for Chicago, which took three of four in the series to move into a tie with the Twins for first place in the AL Central. The White Sox scored 35 runs in their three wins.
Uribe, Magglio Ordonez and Olivo each had three hits and every starter had at least one hit for the White Sox, who set season highs for run scored and hits (23), and batted around twice.
"When you have the type of offense we have, you are going to score some runs," Guillen said.
Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire contemplated the football-like score and joked that the Twins could have used some help from their Metrodome co-tenants.
"I looked up and was hoping (Vikings quarterback Duante) Culpepper could throw a TD and get us back in it," he said.
Jon Garland (4-2) gave up six runs in the first three innings before settling into a groove, limiting the Twins to three singles over the next four innings. He gave up 10 hits in seven innings, walked two and struck out three.
"The way I look at it, this makes up for the 1-0 loss (May 13 against Baltimore)," Garland said.
The White Sox scored three runs in the first off Johan Santana (2-2). Ordonez's two-run triple gave Chicago the early lead, and Lee added an RBI single to make it 3-0.
"I expect Carlos Lee to do the same thing every day," Guillen said. "I'm not worried about Carlos."
The Twins answered with four runs in the bottom half, highlighted by Doug Mientkiewicz's two-run single.
Cristian Guzman executed a perfect suicide squeeze bunt scoring Alex Prieto in the second, and the Twins made it 6-3 on a grounder by Cuddyer in the third.
But the White Sox rallied in the fourth. Olivo opened the inning with a long homer to straightaway center field, and Uribe followed with a liner over the left-field wall. Lee gave the White Sox the lead for good with a two-run single as the first eight batters in the inning reached base. Olivo also had a single.
Santana was removed after allowing the fourth straight hit to start the inning -- a single by Ordonez. He gave up seven runs and 10 hits in three-plus innings.
"Every pitch he was making was getting too much of the plate," said Twins catcher Henry Blanco. "If you continue to leave it out there, you're going to get hurt."
Lee singled in another run in the fifth, then doubled in two runs in a five-run sixth that made it 17-6.
Guzman hit a leadoff homer in the ninth, his second of the season, for Minnesota.
Notes
- White Sox 2B Willie Harris appeared as a pinch-hitter after missing three games with a bruised left ankle and shin.
- The Twins had scored just nine first-inning runs before getting four Sunday against the White Sox.
- Before Sunday's victory, the White Sox were winless in Garland's six career starts in the Metrodome.
- Getaway day has been good for the White Sox: They are 12-2 in the final games of series this season.
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