MINNEAPOLIS – Jake Peavy struck out a season-high nine and Alex Rios homered to help the Chicago White Sox to a 3-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night.

Peavy (7-7) allowed four hits and walked two in 6 1-3 innings against a Twins team that had three players who were called up from Double-A in the last two days.

Alejandro De Aza had two hits, including a triple, and an RBI, and Sergio Santos picked up his 29th save for the White Sox, who have won three in a row and eight of 12.

Liam Hendriks (0-1) allowed three runs and four hits over seven innings in his major league debut. Chris Parmelee had two hits in his first game as a pro, but the Twins lost for the 14th time in 17 games.

Paul Konerko, who hasn’t hit a homer in his last 60 at-bats, got a much-needed day off, but the White Sox still managed to scratch together enough offense for Peavy. Brent Morel added an RBI single as the Sox beat the Twins for the eighth time in the last nine games in the series.

The White Sox are in the middle of a stretch of 28 straight games against the AL Central, but they only have three games left against division-leading Detroit. The Tigers beat the Indians 10-1 on Tuesday night, keeping the White Sox eight games back.

“We’re still in the pennant race,” manager Ozzie Guillen said. “I know it’s going to be hard. … One thing about it, we’re not going to quit.”

There was a time when the Twins owned the White Sox, going 29-7 against them in a stretch that included six straight victories to open 2011. But the wheels have come off for a Twins team that expected to contend for a third straight division title.

Calling up Hendriks, Parmelee and center fielder Joe Benson from Double-A New Britain gave the Twins three players in the starting lineup making their major league debuts for the first time in franchise history, according to research by the Elias Sports Bureau.

Benson misplayed a fly ball from De Aza in the fifth inning, diving for it and letting it get past him for a triple. Morel followed with a single to give the White Sox a 3-0 lead.

That was plenty for Peavy, who stranded runners on third base in the second and fourth innings but never really ran into trouble all night long. Joe Mauer went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts, hearing plenty of boos when Matt Thornton got him swinging in the eighth.

The Twins were shut out for the 12th time this season, tied a season high with 14 strikeouts and have managed just two runs in their last four games. They trail the Tigers by 22 games in the Central and were officially eliminated from the playoff race on Tuesday night.

NOTES: The Twins said Justin Morneau will go through early batting practice on Wednesday to test his concussion symptoms. Even though he is not on the DL, he will have to get approval from Major League Baseball before being cleared to return to the field. When he does, Morneau will only DH and not play 1B. … The last team to debut at least three players in the starting lineup on the same day was the San Diego Padres, when they had four in 1986. … The last time three Twins made their big league debuts in the same game was April 7, 1999, against Toronto, when Joe Mays, Dan Perkins and Mike Lincoln all came out of the bullpen. … Guillen said he considered giving Konerko one of the games of Monday’s doubleheader off, but wanted to get him a full day’s rest. Konerko will be back in the lineup on Wednesday night. … White Sox OF Juan Pierre went 0 for 4 and remains two hits shy of 2,000 for his career. … RHP Carl Pavano (7-11, 4.60) takes the mound in the series finale on Wednesday night against White Sox LHP John Danks (6-10, 4.01). Danks is just 2-7 on the road this season, the fourth-lowest winning percentage in the majors. But he’s 6-2 with a 2.85 ERA over his last 12 starts after starting the season 0-8 with a 5.25 ERA. Pavano is 2-1 with a 1.50 ERA in three starts against the Sox this year. He’s given up an AL-high 221 hits this season and has allowed nine or more in eight of his last nine starts.

If this was Jake Peavy’s last start of the season, he’ll definitely be going out on a high note.

Peavy struck out a season-high nine and Alex Rios homered to help the Chicago White Sox to a 3-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night.

Peavy (7-7) allowed four hits and walked two in 6 1-3 innings against a Twins team that had three players who were called up from Double-A in the last two days.

After the game, Peavy was asked about being shut down for the rest of the season. The 30-year-old right-hander has been plagued by shoulder problems for the last two years, and he said he was “worn down and tired” as the season enters its final month.

“I can go either way,” Peavy said. “Whatever they see fit. Whatever they want me to do.”

Alejandro De Aza had two hits, including a triple, and an RBI, and Sergio Santos picked up his 29th save for the White Sox, who have won three in a row and eight of 12.

Liam Hendriks (0-1) allowed three runs and four hits over seven innings in his major league debut. Chris Parmelee had two hits in his first game as a pro, but the Twins lost for the 14th time in 17 games.

Paul Konerko, who hasn’t hit a homer in his last 60 at-bats, got a much-needed day off, but the White Sox still managed to scratch together enough offense for Peavy. Brent Morel added an RBI single as the Sox beat the Twins for the eighth time in the last nine games in the series.

“Every time he’s on the mound, we feel great stuff is going to happen,” manager Ozzie Guillen said of Peavy. “That’s the kind of pitcher he is. He’s been up and down a few times, but always in the back of our minds we know he’s one year off of major surgery. We just hope when he’s back on the mound, he can do the same stuff.”

The White Sox are in the middle of a stretch of 28 straight games against the AL Central, but they only have three games left against division-leading Detroit. The Tigers beat the Indians 10-1 on Tuesday night, keeping the White Sox eight games back.

“We’re still in the pennant race,” Guillen said before the game. “I know it’s going to be hard. … One thing about it, we’re not going to quit.”

There was a time when the Twins owned the White Sox, going 29-7 against them in a stretch that included six straight victories to open 2011. But the wheels have come off for a Twins team that expected to contend for a third straight division title.

Calling up Hendriks, Parmelee and center fielder Joe Benson from Double-A New Britain gave the Twins three players in the starting lineup making their major league debuts for the first time in franchise history, according to research by the Elias Sports Bureau.

Benson misplayed a fly ball from De Aza in the fifth inning, diving for it and letting it get past him for a triple. Morel followed with a single to give the White Sox a 3-0 lead.

That was plenty for Peavy, who stranded runners on third base in the second and fourth innings but never really ran into trouble all night long.

“There’s no doubt I look forward to a nice winter and nice comeback season next year, but at the same time I’m grinding through this one,” Peavy said. “It has been a grind. Some good, some not so good. I’m just going to see what they want to do. I’m on board with whatever.”

Joe Mauer went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts, hearing plenty of boos when Matt Thornton got him swinging in the eighth.

The Twins were shut out for the 12th time this season, tied a season high with 14 strikeouts and have managed just two runs in their last four games. They trail the Tigers by 22 games in the Central and were officially eliminated from the playoff race on Tuesday night.

“You know it was going to be a tough night with Peavy out there. … Tonight he just ate us up with the breaking ball and the fastball. He had a really good ballgame against us,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.

NOTES: The Twins said Justin Morneau will go through early batting practice on Wednesday to test his concussion symptoms. Even though he is not on the DL, he will have to get approval from Major League Baseball before being cleared to return to the field. When he does, Morneau will only DH and not play 1B. … The last team to debut at least three players in the starting lineup on the same day was the San Diego Padres, when they had four in 1986. … The last time three Twins made their big league debuts in the same game was April 7, 1999, against Toronto, when Joe Mays, Dan Perkins and Mike Lincoln all came out of the bullpen. … Guillen said he considered giving Konerko one of the games of Monday’s doubleheader off, but wanted to get him a full day’s rest. Konerko will be back in the lineup on Wednesday night. … White Sox OF Juan Pierre went 0 for 4 and remains two hits shy of 2,000 for his career. … RHP Carl Pavano (7-11, 4.60) takes the mound in the series finale on Wednesday night against White Sox LHP John Danks (6-10, 4.01). Danks is just 2-7 on the road this season, the fourth-lowest winning percentage in the majors. But he’s 6-2 with a 2.85 ERA over his last 12 starts after starting the season 0-8 with a 5.25 ERA. Pavano is 2-1 with a 1.50 ERA in three starts against the Sox this year. He’s given up an AL-high 221 hits this season and has allowed nine or more in eight of his last nine starts.

Miguel Cabrera homered and drove in four runs, and Detroit finished off its sweep in emphatic fashion, routing the White Sox 18-2 on Sunday night.

“At the end of the game, you are almost laughing because we couldn’t do anything to stop them,” said Guillen, Chicago’s manager. “Just have to move on.”

Max Scherzer (14-8) allowed five hits over seven scoreless innings, and Alex Avila scored a career-high four hits for Detroit, which leads the AL Central by 6½ games heading into a three-game series at second-place Cleveland. Chicago is 8½ back.

Mark Buehrle (11-7) allowed seven earned runs in 3 1-3 innings.

The Tigers trailed 8-1 in the fifth Saturday before rallying to win 9-8. They scored 26 consecutive runs and led 18-0 Sunday when the White Sox finally scored two in the ninth.

“We needed to come here and make a statement. We had to win two of three, if not sweep them, and that’s the furthest thing from what actually happened,” Buehrle said. “We’re not mathematically eliminated, but a smart man isn’t going to like our chances right now. We’re not going to give up, but we’re in big trouble.”

It was the second-biggest blowout in the major leagues this season, according to STATS, LLC. Cleveland beat Kansas City 19-1 on May 16.

Cabrera’s two-run homer into the bushes behind the center-field wall highlighted a seven-run sixth inning.

Although Justin Verlander is making a bid for the Cy Young Award, the depth of Detroit’s rotation has been an issue. Scherzer allowed seven runs in three innings against Kansas City on Monday, but he was much sharper against Chicago, striking out the side in the third and facing the minimum 12 hitters through the first four innings.

Not that Detroit needed a dominant pitching performance.

Austin Jackson led off with a double in the bottom of the first and eventually scored on Victor Martinez’s single. The Tigers scored three runs in the third. Martinez and Avila hit RBI singles, and when Jhonny Peralta hit a grounder to short for a potential inning-ending double play, second baseman Gordon Beckham’s throw to first skipped away for an error, allowing Martinez to score.

The White Sox compounded their poor pitching by making three errors on the night.

Delmon Young made it 5-0 with an RBI single in the fourth, and Cabrera’s double to left-center brought home two more runs and ended Buehrle’s night. It was his shortest outing since June 6, 2010, when he pitched three innings against the Indians.

Reliever Addison Reed, making his major league debut, allowed RBI singles by Avila and Peralta later in the fourth to make it 9-0.

Guillen said before the game he wants to be in Chicago next year. He’s signed through 2012 with the White Sox.

“All my desire, everything, is to be in Chicago,” he said. “I don’t know why people think I want to leave.”

No matter what happens, he’ll probably want to forget this game.

With the score out of hand, both teams began substituting liberally, although Guillen — trying to preserve pitchers for a Monday doubleheader at Minnesota — left right-hander Shane Lindsay out on the mound for the entire sixth inning. Lindsay, whose mother managed to travel from Australia on short notice to see her son’s major league debut Friday night, allowed seven runs and eight hits in his only inning of work Sunday.

Peralta hit a two-run double, Brandon Inge added an RBI single, pinch-hitter Andy Dirks hit a two-run single, and Cabrera made it 16-0 with a towering, 425-foot homer, his 26th of the year.

“I didn’t want to leave the kid out there — no one wants to see that — but we couldn’t do anything with a doubleheader tomorrow,” Guillen said. “That was hard for me to see and hard for everyone.”

Dirks added a two-run homer in the eighth.

“It’s almost a little surreal at times when you’re scoring that many runs,” Dirks said. “At the same time, it’s just one game. It doesn’t matter if you win by two or you win by 20.”

NOTES: Guillen said before the game OF Carlos Quentin (sprained left shoulder) may not return any time soon. … Guillen went about halfway to second base in the second inning after Alex Rios was called out stealing, apparently ready to argue the call. Then he seemed to change his mind and went back to the dugout. … Both teams face quick turnarounds for day games Monday. Detroit is at Cleveland, and Chicago plays its doubleheader at Minnesota. The White Sox will send Philip Humber (8-8) and Zach Stewart (1-2) to the mound against Minnesota’s Anthony Swarzak (3-5) and Scott Diamond (1-2).

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

DETROIT (AP) — Ozzie Guillen and the Chicago White Sox arrived in Detroit hoping to start a last-ditch rally for the AL Central title.

Instead, their playoff hopes are in shambles after three ugly losses to the Tigers.

Miguel Cabrera homered and drove in four runs, and Detroit finished off its sweep in emphatic fashion, routing the White Sox 18-2 on Sunday night.

“At the end of the game, you are almost laughing because we couldn’t do anything to stop them,” said Guillen, Chicago’s manager. “Just have to move on.”

Max Scherzer (14-8) allowed five hits over seven scoreless innings, and Alex Avila scored a career-high four hits for Detroit, which leads the AL Central by 6½ games heading into a three-game series at second-place Cleveland. Chicago is 8½ back.

Mark Buehrle (11-7) allowed seven earned runs in 3 1-3 innings.

The Tigers trailed 8-1 in the fifth Saturday before rallying to win 9-8. They scored 26 consecutive runs and led 18-0 Sunday when the White Sox finally scored two in the ninth.

“We needed to come here and make a statement. We had to win two of three, if not sweep them, and that’s the furthest thing from what actually happened,” Buehrle said. “We’re not mathematically eliminated, but a smart man isn’t going to like our chances right now. We’re not going to give up, but we’re in big trouble.”

It was the second-biggest blowout in the major leagues this season, according to STATS, LLC. Cleveland beat Kansas City 19-1 on May 16.

Cabrera’s two-run homer into the bushes behind the center-field wall highlighted a seven-run sixth inning.

Although Justin Verlander is making a bid for the Cy Young Award, the depth of Detroit’s rotation has been an issue. Scherzer allowed seven runs in three innings against Kansas City on Monday, but he was much sharper against Chicago, striking out the side in the third and facing the minimum 12 hitters through the first four innings.

Not that Detroit needed a dominant pitching performance.

Austin Jackson led off with a double in the bottom of the first and eventually scored on Victor Martinez’s single. The Tigers scored three runs in the third. Martinez and Avila hit RBI singles, and when Jhonny Peralta hit a grounder to short for a potential inning-ending double play, second baseman Gordon Beckham’s throw to first skipped away for an error, allowing Martinez to score.

The White Sox compounded their poor pitching by making three errors on the night.

Delmon Young made it 5-0 with an RBI single in the fourth, and Cabrera’s double to left-center brought home two more runs and ended Buehrle’s night. It was his shortest outing since June 6, 2010, when he pitched three innings against the Indians.

Reliever Addison Reed, making his major league debut, allowed RBI singles by Avila and Peralta later in the fourth to make it 9-0.

Guillen said before the game he wants to be in Chicago next year. He’s signed through 2012 with the White Sox.

“All my desire, everything, is to be in Chicago,” he said. “I don’t know why people think I want to leave.”

No matter what happens, he’ll probably want to forget this game.

With the score out of hand, both teams began substituting liberally, although Guillen — trying to preserve pitchers for a Monday doubleheader at Minnesota — left right-hander Shane Lindsay out on the mound for the entire sixth inning. Lindsay, whose mother managed to travel from Australia on short notice to see her son’s major league debut Friday night, allowed seven runs and eight hits in his only inning of work Sunday.

Peralta hit a two-run double, Brandon Inge added an RBI single, pinch-hitter Andy Dirks hit a two-run single, and Cabrera made it 16-0 with a towering, 425-foot homer, his 26th of the year.

“I didn’t want to leave the kid out there — no one wants to see that — but we couldn’t do anything with a doubleheader tomorrow,” Guillen said. “That was hard for me to see and hard for everyone.”

Dirks added a two-run homer in the eighth.

“It’s almost a little surreal at times when you’re scoring that many runs,” Dirks said. “At the same time, it’s just one game. It doesn’t matter if you win by two or you win by 20.”

NOTES: Guillen said before the game OF Carlos Quentin (sprained left shoulder) may not return any time soon. … Guillen went about halfway to second base in the second inning after Alex Rios was called out stealing, apparently ready to argue the call. Then he seemed to change his mind and went back to the dugout. … Both teams face quick turnarounds for day games Monday. Detroit is at Cleveland, and Chicago plays its doubleheader at Minnesota. The White Sox will send Philip Humber (8-8) and Zach Stewart (1-2) to the mound against Minnesota’s Anthony Swarzak (3-5) and Scott Diamond (1-2).

TORONTO — The Chicago White Sox placed right-hander Tony Pena on the 15-day disabled list with elbow tendinitis and recalled Lucas Harrell from Triple-A Charlotte.

The team announced the moves Sunday, making Pena’s retroactive to Saturday.

Pena was 1-1 with a 6.20 ERA in 17 relief appearances. He allowed one run and three hits in one inning of Friday’s 4-2 loss to Toronto.

Harrell was 4-2 with a 3.54 ERA in nine games at Charlotte, eight of them starts. The right-hander made his major league debut with Chicago in 2010, going 1-0 with a 4.88 ERA in eight games, including three starts.

TORONTO (AP)—The Chicago White Sox placed right-hander Tony Pena(notes) on the
15-day disabled list with elbow tendinitis and recalled Lucas Harrell(notes) from
Triple-A Charlotte.

The team announced the moves Sunday, making Pena’s retroactive to Saturday.

Pena was 1-1 with a 6.20 ERA in 17 relief appearances. He allowed one run
and three hits in one inning of Friday’s 4-2 loss to Toronto.

Harrell was 4-2 with a 3.54 ERA in nine games at Charlotte, eight of them
starts. The right-hander made his major league debut with Chicago in 2010, going
1-0 with a 4.88 ERA in eight games, including three starts.