Liriano pitched well early and headed into the fifth inning only down 1-0 -- but he never saw the sixth, as Chicago scored four times. He issued three walks in the fifth, including two with the bases loaded, and gave up three hits.

"I got frustrated a little bit," Liriano said. "But I was trying to make some good pitches and get ahead in the count."

The chilly conditions included a late-afternoon shadow that cut across home plate. Visibility was tough for hitters -- and some players wondered if the conditions affected plate umpire Ted Barrett, too.

"I thought (Liriano) was around the strike zone," Twins catcher Mike Redmond said. "But like I said, it was tough to see back there. Those calls could have gone either way; unfortunately, it didn't go our way.

"It was tough to see the ball and really, after the second inning, I couldn't see to hit. I couldn't see to catch. It was quite an adventure."

Liriano said of Barrett: "I think he squeezed me a little bit."

Redmond went to the mound during the fifth to try to keep Liriano in attack mode, but the lefthander couldn't stop Chicago from pulling away.

The inning began ominously, as former Twins catcher Corky Miller led off with a single to left.

Why ominous? Miller, a likable guy, couldn't hit water if he jumped into Lake Michigan. He entered Saturday batting .092 in 62 major league games over the past five seasons.

Miller was bunted over to second, and then things got ugly. Liriano threw a first-pitch strike to Josh Fields before throwing four consecutive balls.

Pitching coach Rick Anderson went to the mound to settle Liriano, but Carlos Quentin hit a 2-1 pitch for a single, loading the bases. Then came four balls in a row to Jermaine Dye, forcing in Miller and making it 2-0. Liriano fell behind 2-0 to Paul Konerko and ended up walking him to force in Fields.

Wilson Betemit's grounder could have been the start of a double play, but Twins third baseman Joe Crede bobbled the ball and had to settled for a force at third as Quentin scored. And an RBI single by Alexei Ramirez sent Liriano to the showers.

"You have to be patient and you have to make an adjustment," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "We did it today against one of the best lefthanders in the American League. We got good at-bats and made him throw a lot of pitches."

Former Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon didn't have problems throwing strikes, holding the Twins to three hits over six innings in his White Sox debut. Miller added a two-run single in the seventh off reliever Philip Humber. The shadows sure didn't bother Miller, who had two hits in a game for the first time since Sept. 13, 2003, while with Cincinnati.

The Twins believed Liriano had much better stuff than he did in Monday's season debut. Unfortunately for him, he wound up with another loss.

"He was just missing," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Close pitches."

GAME RECAP

IMPACT PLAYER

Bartolo Colon, White Sox

Gave up three hits over six innings to improve to 9-7 in his career against the Twins .

NUMBERS

2 Times the Twins have been shut out through six games, putting them on pace for 54 in 2009.

151 Career victories for Colon, third most among pitchers from the Dominican Republic.

6.94 ERA for Francisco Liriano in three games at U.S. Cellular Field.

ON DECK

White Sox lefthander Mark Buehrle is 21-13 against the Twins in his career as he prepares to face them today in the series finale. Righthander Nick Blackburn will start for the Twins .

LA VELLE E. NEAL III

Up next: 1:05 p.m. today at Chicago - TV: Ch. 29