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Sox topple Twins

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- John Danks got his first major league victory and the Chicago White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 6-3 Wednesday night. Danks (1-4) didn't give up a hit until the fifth and a run until the seventh -- the only one he allowed in 6...

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- John Danks got his first major league victory and the Chicago White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 6-3 Wednesday night.

Danks (1-4) didn't give up a hit until the fifth and a run until the seventh -- the only one he allowed in 6 2-3 innings. He held Minnesota to three hits.

Torii Hunter didn't have one of those, but he extended his hitting streak to 23 games with an infield single in the eighth. Shortstop Juan Uribe made an off-balance scoop of Hunter's grounder, but his low throw scooted past first baseman Paul Konerko -- an error that allowed two runs to score against Mike MacDougal.

Boone Logan came in and struck out Justin Morneau on three pitches to end that threat. Bobby Jenks got three outs for his 11th save in 12 tries after walking the first two batters in the ninth.

Darin Erstad, Konerko and Rob Mackowiak each had two hits for Chicago, which took a 4-0 lead against Ramon Ortiz (3-3) in the first.

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Ortiz enjoyed an excellent April, posting a 3-1 record and a 2.57 ERA in five starts that helped quell some early questions about Minnesota's rotation.

The right-hander's last two appearances, however, have been more reminiscent of the easily rattled pitcher from the past two years. Ortiz had trouble with long rallies and went 20-27 with a 5.47 ERA and 65 home runs allowed for Cincinnati and Washington over the 2005 and 2006 seasons.

Erstad singled to start the game, and the White Sox batted around -- scoring on a double by Konerko, a bases-loaded walk by Uribe and a single by Ryan Sweeney that drove in two.

A feeble bottom-of-the-inning response followed from the Twins, who made Danks throw only seven pitches to induce a shallow flyout by Luis Castillo and infield popups by Nick Punto and Hunter.

Michael Cuddyer barely beat out a grounder to shortstop -- replays suggested he might have been out -- in the fifth for Minnesota's first hit. Jeff Cirillo wiped out that with a double-play bouncer to third base, just as he did after Morneau's walk in the second.

Danks, who walked three and struck out four, got plenty of help from Erstad -- the native of nearby Jamestown, N.D., whose batting average has been rising after a slow start to his first season with the White Sox.

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