Phil Hughes tossed eight strong innings and the Minnesota Twins beat Chris Sale for the third time this season, overcoming 10 more strikeouts by the Chicago White Sox ace in a 6-1 victory Wednesday.
Sale (6-4) reached double digits in strikeouts for the seventh straight game. He was trying to become the first pitcher in modern major league history with at least 12 in six consecutive starts.
The lanky left-hander's streak of innings with at least one strikeout was stopped at 38 when Minnesota hit three doubles in a three-run fourth to give Hughes (6-6) the lead for good.
Sale is 1-3 with a 6.46 ERA in four turns against the Twins this season. Against everyone else in the majors, he is 5-1 with a 1.88 ERA in 10 starts.
Sale allowed eight hits, one walk and six runs (five earned) in 6 2-3 innings. He left during a three-run seventh amid another stretch of sloppy defense by the White Sox, who have lost his last three starts.
It was the most runs given up by Sale in six starts since May 23 against the Twins.
Adam LaRoche, who had three hits, homered to start the second against Hughes. Early on, it appeared that might be enough for the White Sox as Sale opened with six strikeouts over the first three innings.
Chicago Baseball
But Hughes settled in smoothly to win with eight innings and one run allowed for the second straight time. He gave up six hits and struck out five without a walk.
Brian Dozier, Kurt Suzuki and Shane Robinson each had two hits for the Twins, who are 9-4 against the White Sox this year while outscoring them 78-35.
