=== Chicago White Sox Team Report - June 26 ===

(My Sportsbook) - Mark Buehrle targets his third straight victory today when the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins play the rubber match of their three-game series at the Metrodome.

Buehrle, 4-10 on the year with a 4.90 ERA, has won his last two starts after going through a stretch where he lost nine straight decisions, spanning 12 starts. The 24-year-old southpaw allowed four runs on nine hits over 6 1/3 innings in his most recent outing on Saturday against the Cubs.

He has lost both his starts against Minnesota this season and his loss to the Twins back on May 17 was one of the worst performances of his career. In that contest Buehrle was pounded for 10 runs - a career-worst nine earned - on 10 hits in just 3 1/3 frames.

In 13 career starts against the Twins, Buehrle is 7-4 with a 4.86 ERA.

After beating the Twins in the series-opener, Minnesota evened the series on Wednesday with an 11th inning 6-5 victory.

Jose Valentin belted a three-run homer for the White Sox, who have lost two of three.

After Minnesota put together a bases-loaded threat in the bottom of the 10th inning, Chicago reliever Tom Gordon got himself out of a jam. Eddie Guardado then retired the White Sox in order in the 11th before Jacque Jones stepped to the plate with one out against Billy Koch (2-4), who served up a 1-0 pitch that Jones crushed over the wall in straight-away center field for the win.

On the milestone watch, with another RBI White Sox first baseman Frank Thomas will pass Roger Connor (1,322) and move into sole possession of 76th place on the all-time list. Thomas, though, is hitting just .250 against Thursday's starter for Minnesota Brad Radke in 44 at-bats.

Minnesota, which has taken five of the eight meetings between the two teams this season, is 30-16 against the White Sox since the start of the 2001 season, including an 18-6 mark at the Metrodome.

Chicago is 15-24 away from home.