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MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins flexed some muscle for their first three-game sweep of the season. The Chicago White Sox were easily overpowered in this lopsided series. Brian Doziers two-run homer was one of a career-high four long balls hit off John Danks, and the Twins beat the White Sox 8-4 on Thursday. "It always helps a lot when youve got everybody hitting in the lineup," said Dozier, who homered for the third time in his last four games. "Hopefully that wont let up, and we can continue the hot bats and the pitching and defence." Oswaldo Arcia went deep in the second inning ahead of Dozier. Clete Thomas and Eduardo Escobar hit back-to-back shots in the fourth, sending the White Sox to their seventh defeat in the last eight games. They fell to a league-worst 13-28 on the road and 5-13 in June. "The game is hard enough when youre not playing well," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "When youre not playing well, you can see all the warts." Danks (1-4) lasted only five innings, giving up 12 hits and six runs. Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn hit consecutive home runs against Scott Diamond (5-6) in the sixth inning, but that wasnt nearly enough. The six combined homers on this humid, breezy afternoon matched a record at Target Field, which opened in 2010. The Twins last swept the White Sox in a three-game series Sept. 14-16, 2010, in Chicago. Theyd never done it here before. "Youre only as good as your last game, but theres a confidence level," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. The White Sox dropped to 29-41, the first time theyve been 12 games under .500 since the last day of the 2007 season, when they finished 72-90. That was the only year in the history of the AL Central, which was created in 1994, the White Sox have finished in fourth place. Theyve never finished last in the Central, but theyre well on their way this summer, with starting pitching joining this week the list of problems topped by fielding and scoring. "We truly feel like were way too good to be playing like this," Danks said. "We feel were just as talented as any team in the league." The signs of struggle were everywhere. Alejandro De Azas drag bunt attempt in the fifth inning sailed about 20 feet in the air all the way to Dozier for an easy catch at second base. Then in the sixth, shortstop Alexei Ramirez let a soft two-out grounder get through his legs for an error. Two batters later, Justin Morneaus two-run single with the bases loaded stretched the lead to 8-4. Danks, whose season started late because of surgery last summer on his left shoulder, fell to 0-4 in his four road starts with a 7.29 ERA. Nine of the 10 home runs hes allowed have been on the road. "Home runs are exciting, but as long as were putting them on the board youve got to be happy," Diamond said. Quipped Gardenhire: "As long as theyre ours being hit into the seats, thats OK." Diamond won for only the second time in his last eight starts, with only one completion of six innings in that span. This turn, he lasted 5 1-3 innings with seven hits and four runs allowed. One of those was unearned, due to a throwing error by third baseman Trevor Plouffe in the fourth. Reliever Jesse Crain has been one bright spot for the White Sox, at least. The former Twins right-hander set Chicagos franchise record with his 28th consecutive scoreless appearance, passing J.J. Putzs mark from 2010. Crain, who has 37 strikeouts in 28 innings during the streak, has allowed only two runs all season, most recently on April 12. NOTES: The six victories (out of nine) were the most on a homestand by the Twins since winning six of 12 here on from July 14-24, 2011. ... Ventura expressed encouragement about RHP Jake Peavys first real exercise -- riding the stationary bike -- since he broke a rib two weeks. Peavy is expected to miss another two to four weeks. ... Twins CF Aaron Hicks (strained left hamstring) is on track to begin a rehab assignment next week. Backup OF Wilkin Ramirez (post-concussion symptoms) started one on Thursday with Class A Fort Myers. ... The Twins play three games at Cleveland beginning on Friday. RHP Samuel Deduno (3-1, 3.26 ERA) will pitch the opener, with LHP Scott Kazmir (3-4, 5.89 ERA) starting for the Indians. ... The White Sox start a three-game series in Kansas City on Friday by sending LHP Hector Santiago (2-5, 3.30 ERA) to the mound at Kauffman Stadium. RHP Jeremy Guthrie (7-4, 3.72 ERA) will pitch for the Royals. Cheap Nike Air Max 2019 . It was hard for Luck to pull off another comeback, or even get into the end zone, while standing on the sideline. Rivers threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to rookie Keenan Allen and Nick Novak kicked four field goals to give the Chargers a 19-9 victory against the Colts on Monday night. Discount Air Max . Ouellette, from Montreal, already has three Olympic gold medals since joining the team in 1999. http://www.wholesaleairmaxfromchina.com/ .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Wholesale Nike Shoes . "It doesnt get any better than that," Giambi said. "Im speechless." The Indians are roaring toward October. Giambi belted a two-run, pinch-hit homer with two outs in the ninth inning to give Cleveland a shocking 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night, keeping the Indians up with the lead pack in the AL wild-card race. Wholesale Air Max Fast Shipping . The visitors took a deserved lead in the 16th minute with midfielder Yohan Cabaye curling the ball beyond Adrian from inside the penalty area. Angry, embarrassed, frustrated, disappointed, upset, hurting. These were the words synonymous with Steven Smiths Australians in the aftermath of defeat to South Africa in Hobart. Another, resilient, is not.Smith cut a bewildered and downtrodden figure as he sorted through the wreckage of a humiliating fifth Test match defeat in succession, the national sides first innings loss at home since the fateful Ashes summer of 2010-11. Clearly angry with the performances of his players, he suggested it may be time for widespread personnel changes.I am embarrassed to be sitting here to be perfectly honest with you, Smith said. Too many times we have lost wickets in clumps, 8 for 30 today, 10 for 85 in the first innings, and you are not winning any games of cricket when are you doing that. And it is happening way too consistently for my liking.We are not being resilient, we are not willing to tough it out and get through tough periods and the longer you spend out there things get easier, albeit the wicket was doing quite a bit and it was hard. But, the boys have got to start being a bit tougher and getting in a grind and getting in a contest and try to build a few partnerships because right now it is not good enough.Asked directly about the tenure of the national team coach Darren Lehmann, who signed a contract extension in August to take him through to 2019, Smith was adamant in his support. I think hes been terrific over a long period of time, he said. Its not his fault were not playing well, its up to us to go out there and do the job. He does everything he can for us in training and preparation.We prepare well, its just at the moment when we get out in the middle were not executing our skills well enough and not handling the pressures of international cricket well enough. As a playing group that has to change, and from my point of view I have absolutely no problem with anything Darren is doing at the moment.Smith was less effusive in his words about the way the selection panel was operating, declining to answer the question of whether he was getting the teams he desired. Its obviously talked about and I do talk to the selectors quite a bit and in the end it is up to them to pick the team that they think best, he said. I have got to back their job and go out there and support our guys and do whatever we can to win cricket matches but obviously were not doing that and it is not working.With the knowledge that Australia are currently mired in the sort of slump that costs careers, Smith admitted that all manner of issues, from selection and schhedules to the personnel in and around the team and at Cricket Australia would all be under heavy scrutiny.ddddddddddddYeah, it is not working, Smith said when asked if the time had come to rip up existing plans and start over. So, obviously on the back of five losses there is going to be a lot talked about in regards to selection and things like that. And weve got to start finding a way to turn things around.Whether the ball is seaming or spinning or swinging we dont have an answer at the moment. We are not resilient enough, we are not digging in enough, we are not having the pride in our wicket, were just not being resilient enough and something has got to change. We have got to play a lot better than we have been if we are going to beat any opposition around the world at the moment.Smith agreed that the present batting rut suggested the team had not earned the right to play with the sort of flair and aggression usually associated with Australian cricket. In conditions conducive to bowlers but far from impossible, he said that the players in the team had to think more keenly about their approach.I think that depends on conditions, if the wickets are flat and there is nothing happening fine you can play aggressively and positively, he said. But if there is anything in the wicket: spin, swing, seam, at the moment we are not adapting well enough, we are not willing to grind it out and spend enough time out in the middle to be positive.It comes down to that resilience and having a good defence, at the moment our defence is being challenged and it hasnt been good enough. You can play that positive brand once you get in and things get easier, but we have got to be willing to do the hard yards to be in a position where we can be positive and drive the game.Looking more widely around Australian cricket, Smith said he wanted to see more evidence of hungry batsmen in domestic cricket. Theres some guys there that are scoring some big runs on occasions and then probably not being as consistent as they would like to put their names up there, he said. Thats what I mean when I say no one is really jumping out of the pack and getting big hundreds or three hundreds in a row.At the moment what weve got going on is not working so it might be about getting some younger guys in and getting some experience at this level, you never know, guys might really step up to the plate and step up to the level of international cricket. ' ' '