Final

Series: Game 2 of 3

Series tied 1-1 (as of 6/26)

Game 1: Monday, June 25
Chi White Sox1Final
Minnesota4
Game 2: Tuesday, June 26
Chi White Sox3Final
Minnesota2
Game 3: Wednesday, June 27
Chi White Sox12Final
Minnesota5

White Sox 3

(39-35, 20-14 away)

Twins 2

(30-43, 14-23 home)

8:10 PM ET, June 26, 2012

Target Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota 

123456789 R H E
CHW 000200100 3 5 0
MIN 000000002 2 7 0

W: G. Floyd (6-7)

L: L. Hendriks (0-5)

S: A. Reed (10)

White Sox-Twins Preview

STATS LLC

Gavin Floyd was suffering through a dismal personal stretch for the Chicago White Sox before a solid performance in his last outing.

Ending the major leagues' longest active losing streak against one team likely would make him feel even better.

Floyd looks to snap an eight-start skid versus the host Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night as the first-place White Sox try to bounce back from another empty offensive effort in the opener.

The right-hander ended a nightmarish personal run by holding the Cubs to four hits in 6 1/3 innings of a 7-0 win on Wednesday. He had gone 1-4 with a 10.38 ERA in his previous six starts, though he contends he wasn't pitching as poorly as the numbers indicated.

"It was frustrating," Floyd said. "There were games where I felt really good and (didn't) get the results. It's part of baseball, I guess."

Floyd (5-7, 5.20 ERA), though, may have a tough time staying on track. He has an 8.86 ERA during his rough stretch against the Twins, allowing a season-worst nine runs in 3 2/3 innings of a 9-2 home loss to Minnesota on May 22.

The last pitcher to have a losing streak as long as Floyd's against one team was Jamey Wright, who lost nine straight starts against Houston from October 1, 2000-June 27, 2005.

"I guess I've got to figure that out," Floyd said after the latest dismal outing versus the Twins. "I wish I could pinpoint certain things. They have a good game plan against me apparently and I've got to change that and try to get them next time."

The White Sox (38-35) may need to shake their offensive funk to help Floyd end the streak. They've scored one run in back-to-back games and have put up one or zero runs five times in their last eight.

Kevin Youkilis couldn't put a charge into the offense in his Chicago debut Monday, though he did have one of his new team's five hits in a 4-1 loss.

"Offensively, we just seem to be in a funk," manager Robin Ventura said. "Eventually, it'll happen. Hopefully it happens tomorrow."

The Twins, meanwhile, saw their top three hitters -- Denard Span, Ben Revere and Joe Mauer -- go a combined 9 for 14. Though they remain in last place in the AL Central, they're just 7 1/2 games out.

"We've got a long way to go here but (the White Sox are) in our division and leading our division, so it's a good start to win the first one," manager Ron Gardenhire told the team's official website. "Our goal is still just to get to .500 and we have a ways to go to get there."

Span is 15 for 29 (.517) against Floyd while Mauer is 17 for 39 (.436) with three homers, a triple, four doubles and eight walks.

The Twins (30-42), who have won five of eight, may need their offense to continue tormenting Floyd if they don't get a better performance from Liam Hendriks.

Hendriks (0-4, 7.39) has dropped each of his last four outings with a 9.92 ERA after allowing six runs in five innings of a 9-1 loss to Pittsburgh on Thursday.

The right-hander has faced the White Sox once, giving up three runs in seven innings while losing his major league debut 3-0 on Sept. 6.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

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Gameday Matchup

 ChicagoMinnesota
W-L85-7766-96
Night53-5446-58
Grass79-7665-91
Current StreakW1L5
Last 104-63-7

Pitching Matchup

ChicagoMinnesota
G. Floyd
12-11, 4.29 ERA

Last Game:
10/3 at CLE
7.0 IP, 0 ER
Dec = Win
L. Hendriks
1-8, 5.59 ERA

Last Game:
9/30 vs DET
7.0 IP, 0 ER
Dec = ND

Gameday Lineups

NO.ChicagoMinnesota
1. A. De Aza, CF D. Span, CF
2. K. Youkilis, 1B B. Revere, RF
3. A. Dunn, DH J. Mauer, C
4. P. Konerko, 1B J. Willingham, LF
5. A. Rios, RF J. Morneau, 1B
6. D. Viciedo, LF T. Plouffe, 3B
7. A. Ramirez, SS R. Doumit, DH
8. T. Flowers, C A. Casilla, 2B
9. G. Beckham, 2B J. Carroll, SS

Research Notes

Denard Span and Justin Morneau are a combined 22-for-57 (.386 BA) with four doubles, three home runs and 13 RBIs against White Sox right-handed pitcher Gavin Floyd.

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