In desperate need of a quality start, the Minnesota Twins got just that from Boof Bonser on Tuesday. After a string of early exits by Minnesota starters, Bonser allowed just one run -- on Joe Crede's solo homer in the seventh -- and six hits over seven innings.
Bonser had everything working for him, especially, perhaps, the White Sox's free-swinging bats. Bonser said Chicago was swinging at almost anything he offered, and that allowed him to use his full repertoire. It didn't hurt that the right-hander's curveball was the best it's been all season. "I was able to throw the curveball for strikes, and that helped out with my other pitches. I was able to throw my fastball for strikes too, but everything came off my curve," Bonser said. "That's probably the first time since the season started that I had (a reliable curve). Last year, I had it going good, but my first four or five games, I did not have it like I did tonight."
The win Tuesday broke Bonser's streak of 11 straight starts at the Metrodome without a victory, and came after a weekend that saw Minnesota starters leaving because of injuries (Scott Baker's slightly strained groin) and ineffectiveness (Francisco Liriano gave up six runs on five hits and was pulled after just two-thirds of an inning last week in Oakland).
One of the keys to Bonser's night, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said, was that he was able to quickly establish his fastball -- something that was a problem for him in 2007.
"As they started to get after the fastball, he really went to the breaking ball," Gardenhire said. The White Sox "were swinging fastball, that's why his breaking ball was successful."
TWINS 3, WHITE SOX 1: Despite Chicago's AL-leading 35 home runs, Minnesota -- with its 14 total homers -- was the first team to go deep in this two-game series. DH Jason Kubel hit his fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot off Gavin Floyd in the fourth inning that gave Minnesota a lead it would not surrender.
