White Sox reliever Nate Jones touched 99 on more than one occasion in the top of the seventh.
Justin Morneau didn’t care.
After falling behind 0-2 with two outs and the bases full, Morneau battled back and timed up a fastball from the fireballing Jones, depositing it in the right field seats to give the Twins a 5-3 lead, and they didn’t look back.
Oswaldo Arcia added a solo home run in the top of the eighth and Morneau struck again in the ninth with a solo blast to cap the Twins power surge.
Closer Glen Perkins took the ninth in a non-save situation, making things interesting by giving up a two-run single to Alexei Ramirez to make the Twins lead just 7-5, but he struck out the K-prone Adam Dunn to end it.
Brian Duensing (5-1) pitched just a third of an inning in relief of Kyle Gibson (5.2 IP, 3ER) for the win, while the loss was dealt to reliever Donnie Veal (1-3) who did not retire a batter as the second reliever out of the bullpen for Chicago.
The Twins and Sox close out the split doubleheader tonight with Liam Hendricks toeing the rubber for Minnesota, and Charlie Leesman going for Chicago, making his first career start.
