Chicago, IL (My Sportsbook) - Justin Morneau went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and four RBI, and Joe Crede added a solo homer in his return to Chicago against his former team, as the Minnesota Twins used a seven-run seventh inning to down the White Sox, 12-5, in the opener of a three-game set.

Alexi Casilla went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, Denard Span had three hits and two RBI, and for the Twins, who have won three of their last four since starting the season with a loss to the Mariners.

R.A. Dickey (1-0) got the win as he gave up three runs on four hits with four walks and four strikeouts in five innings.

"It wasn't a perfect baseball game, but our guys came out and battled," said Minnesota skipper Ron Gardenhire. Dickey did a good job tonight and kept us in there."

Carlos Quentin hit a two-run homer and Josh Fields drove in two runs for the White Sox, who have dropped their last three games. Jose Contreras (0-1) was saddled with the loss as he allowed four runs on seven hits in five innings.

"Contreras was pretty good tonight," said Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen. "The first couple of innings he was in a little trouble, but then he settled down a bit and threw well."

The last time these teams faced each other it was a one-game playoff to determine the winner of the AL Central, which the White Sox edged the Twins by a 1-0 count to advance to the postseason.

The Twins got on the board in the first inning with an RBI single from Jason Kubel that scored Casilla and made it 2-0 in the second on a leadoff home run from Crede, who had spent his first nine years of his career with Chicago.

The White Sox tied the game in the bottom of the second. With the bases loaded and two outs, Fields hit a single to center that plated Paul Konerko and Alexei Ramirez.

Chicago then took the lead in the third on a two-out, solo home run from Konerko.

Minnesota, though, got the run back in the fourth on an RBI single from Span that plated Jose Morales.

The Twins then took a 4-3 lead in the fifth as Casilla led off with a triple and Morneau followed with a single to right.

The Twins blew the game open in the seventh. Morneau started the inning with a shot over the left field wall. The next three batters all reached base and Delmon Young punched a two-run single to center. Another two-run single with the bases loaded, this time from Nick Punto, was followed with an RBI single by Span. Morneau later hit a sacrifice fly to plate Punto for an 11-3 lead.

Quentin chipped away at the deficit in the bottom of the seventh with a two- run homer.

However, Morneau drove in another run in the ninth, a groundout that scored Punto, for a 12-5 lead and Philip Humber closed the game in the ninth for the win.

Game Notes

The Twins have won seven of the last nine against the White Sox...Contreras is 4-4 in his career against Minnesota...Dickey is now 1-2 in his career against Chicago...Punto finished the game 2-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI.