CHICAGO --- Leury Garcia scored the winning run on Samuel Deduno's wild pitch, ending a back-and-forth contest that lasted more than four hours as the White Sox beat the Twins, 7-6, in 11 innings on Wednesday at U.S. Cellular Field.
Garcia, who led off the inning with an infield single, advanced to second on a balk and to third on a wild pitch, eventually scoring with Adam Dunn at the plate. It was a fitting end to a game that saw multiple blown leads and a plethora of runners stranded on base.
Looking dead to rights against Minnesota pitching, the White Sox staged a late rally against Twins closer Glen Perkins in the ninth to send the game to extras after watching its own bullpen blow a two-run lead two innings earlier.
 
White Sox rally in ninth, top Twins in extras
 
Making his first plate appearance of the season, pinch-hitter Paul Konerko started things with a single off the third-base bag and was replaced by pinch-runner Adrian Nieto, who moved to second on Dayan Viciedo's pinch-hit single two batters later. Garcia's sharp single to left brought home Nieto, cutting the deficit to one.
With Adam Eaton at the plate, Perkins sailed a pitch high and inside to the backstop, moving the runners up to second and third. That would prove costly for Minnesota, as it allowed Viciedo to score on Eaton's tapper down the third-base line. Trevor Plouffe charged and fielded the grounder on the short hop and fired home, but the throw was off line and Viciedo beat it, tying the game at 6.
Chicago had managed just three baserunners after a three-run second before Dunn cut Minnesota's lead to 5-4 with a solo shot to center that narrowly cleared the wall with two outs in the eighth. Minnesota extended the lead to 6-4 in the ninth on Kurt Suzuki's RBI double, scoring Plouffe, who led off the inning with a walk.
With the White Sox leading, 3-2, in the seventh, lefty Scott Downs walked Joe Mauer and was pulled for right-hander Nate Jones, who followed by issuing a six-pitch walk to Josh Willingham. Jason Kubel's ground-rule double to right and Plouffe's two-run single gave Minnesota a 5-3 lead.
In came Daniel Webb, who appeared to get an easy flyout to center from Oswaldo Arcia. But the ball was bobbled by Eaton, bringing manager Ron Gardenhire out from the dugout to challenge the ruling, which was overturned after replay.
White Sox starter Felipe Paulino gave up two runs (one earned) in 5 1/3 innings while striking out six and walking two in his first start since 2012. He needed 109 pitches to get there, but left the bases loaded in the second and stranded four Minnesota baserunners the rest of the way.
Twins starter Kevin Correia allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits in six innings, striking out five while walking one. He allowed just one hit, a Jose Abreu single with one out in the third, the rest of his outing, and retired the final eight he faced.
Joe Popely / MLB.com
 

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