Twins come back to knock off Sox

Most people would say the surprise team of the year in baseball is the Rays. The Twins are a close second.

This series against the White Sox is crucial. After this, they play only one more series. This is the team the second-place team must catch up.

The Twins did just that, and in inspiring -- and typical -- fashion as they moved to within a half-game of the Sox.

Minnesota doesn't hit that many homers. What it does do is score during the big innings, and using speed and clutch hitting. Each game it's one or two familiar figures and a couple of guys not very well-known outside the Twin Cities.

Justin Morneau is staking his claim to being a legitimate contender for the MVP. (Or if he isn't, I am making the claim for him.) He got the big hit in the five-run fifth inning, clearing the bases with a double. For the record, he has knocked in 82 runs while hitting 17 homers and batting .320. He is on course to have the kind of year he had two years ago when he was the MVP as the team won the division title on the last day of the season.

Morneau has 14 RBIs in his past 10 games. Not bad.

Carlos Gomez, back in the starting lineup after his injury in Cleveland, was three for three with two runs and an RBI. Joe Mauer was two for four with a run and two RBIs. It's great to see him do well -- his average has dipped a bit (now .318) after being up in the .330s for a while.

One other statistical note about the offense: Mauer and Morneau had their RBIs with two outs. The Twins are a clutch team, and have the best average in the major leagues for batting with runners in scoring position.

But the second half of the season is about pitching, and the young starters continue their string of good performances while the bullpen has been solid.

Glen Perkins improved his record to 8-3 while his ERA went up to 4.20 during a not-so-great performance. But the pen propped him up, allowing just a run in three innings. This time it was Joe Nathan who allowed a run -- a homer to Nick Swisher. It didn't matter thanks to the insurance run Mauer had knocked in.

Chicago's Clayton Richard, in only his second career start, was going great until the fifth inning.  Then it all fell apart.

Gavin Floyd faces Livan Hernandez in Wednesday's matchup. That would seem to favor the White Sox -- Hernandez has had some shaky starts in recent games.