Error sends White Sox to walk-off loss

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MINNEAPOLIS --- Welcome back, guys.

Alejandro De Aza and A.J. Pierzynski returned to the White Sox lineup on Monday night and did plenty of heavy lifting with a homer and five combined RBIs. But it wasnt enough as Pierzynskis throwing error in the ninth inning helped the Minnesota Twins top the White Sox 7-6 in front of 35,018 at Target Field.

Brett Myers took the loss and the White Sox failed to gain ground on Detroit, a 7-3 loser in Boston.

Danny Valencia started the Twins ninth inning with a solid single off Myers. Pinch-runner Alexi Casilla then raced to third as Brian Dozier laid down a sacrifice bunt and Pierzynskis throw to first was wild. Jamey Carroll followed with a game-winning sacrifice fly to right.

The White Sox received an instant surge when De Aza started the game with a single after an eight-pitch at-bat against Minnesota starter Cole De Vries. Two outs later, Paul Konerko singled in De Aza, who had stolen second base. Alex Rios then singled and Pierzynski, who missed five days with a sore right oblique, launched a 413-foot, three-run homer to right to give the White Sox a 4-0 lead.

The White Sox and starter Jose Quintana couldnt hold the lead and fell behind 6-4 in the third inning.

But De Aza, who missed two days with a sore left wrist, singled in a run in the fourth inning to cut the deficit to one run. He also drove in the tying run with a two-out single in the eighth inning. De Aza finished 4-for-5 with two RBIs.

Quintana struggled early, but settled in to deliver seven innings when it looked like he might not last two.

Spotted a four-run lead in the first inning, the rookie gave it all back immediately. Minneostas first three hitters, all lefties, went the opposite way with success against Quintana. Joe Mauer was the last of the trio and his RBI single cut the Sox lead to 4-1. After Josh Willingham followed with an RBI single, pitching coach Don Cooper visited Quintana. Ryan Doumit later had an RBI groundout before Danny Valencia tied it with an RBI single in the first.

Quintana struggled some more in the third inning as the first three runners reached base. Doumit had an RBI single and Valencia had a sacrifice fly to give the Twins a 6-4 lead.

But Quintana shut down the Twins from there and allowed his team to rally. The left-hander was efficient and retired 12 of the last 14 hitters he faced.

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