MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota bullpen helped bail out Phil Hughes after the Twins ace had uncharacteristic outing Sunday. Joe Mauer had two hits and two RBIs, and the Twins beat the White Sox 6-5 to complete their first four-game sweep against Chicago in 20 years. Anthony Swarzak and Casey Fien combined for three shutout innings of relief and Jared Burton earned his first save since May 30, 2013, with a perfect ninth. "Everybody was great except for me today," said Phil Hughes, who lasted just five innings but got the win. He allowed eight hits and tied a season high by giving up five earned runs. Hughes (8-3), who went at least six innings in his 11 previous outings, allowed his first walk in 107 batters during the White Soxs five-run third inning. "I just struggled with command, my off-speed stuff wasnt great," Hughes said. "Our bullpen stepped up big today, offence fought back a couple times. Thats huge." Gordon Beckham and Jose Abreu had two RBIs apiece for the White Sox, who have lost eight straight games against AL Central rivals. "Anytime you sit there and pity yourself, youre going to get buried. Nobody cares. You have to be able to pick yourself up off the mat and compete and then it works out," said manager Robin Ventura. After Chicago scored five times in the third for a 5-3 lead, Brian Dozier and Mauer had RBI singles and Josh Willingham added a sacrifice fly in the fourth to put the Twins ahead for good. The Twins last swept Chicago in a four-game series June 9-12, 1994. "Anytime you sweep anybody is a real good feeling, but anytime you get a four-game it makes it that much more gratifying for our ballclub," said bench coach Terry Steinbach, who took over when manager Ron Gardenhire was ejected in the third inning after arguing with home plate umpire D.J. Reyburn. On an overcast, humid afternoon, Hughes wasnt the only starter who struggled. In his past five starts for Chicago, John Danks (6-6) was 3-1 with a 1.51 ERA, allowing just 24 hits. However, none of those were against Minnesota, a team he has struggled against. Danks allowed six earned runs on a season high-tying 10 hits. In his last eight starts versus the Twins since Aug, 11, 2010, he is 0-6 with a 6.18 ERA. "Its just one of those days, I guess. Certainly wasnt fun. Shot myself in the foot. Didnt do myself any favours. Cost us the game," he said. "You score five runs, that should be plenty to win a ballgame. To go out and give it right back in a five-inning span is kind of a tough pill to swallow." The left-hander walked the first two batters he faced, but the Twins managed just one run. Minnesota, however, scored twice in the second for a 3-0 lead. Kurt Suzuki led off with a double, but was thrown out at home trying to score on a single by Eduardo Escobar. Escobar scored one batter later on Sam Fulds double off the right field wall. Mauer added an RBI single later in the inning. Mauer has six RBI in his last four games, after entering the series with just 16. "When Joe Mauer heats up, you watch out around the league," Dozier said. Hughes gave up the lead in the third. A pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases with no outs. After Adam Eaton struck out on a full-count pitch, Beckham lined the first pitch he saw for a two-run double to the wall in left-centre and Abreu followed with a two-run single up the middle for a 4-3 lead. A bloop single by Conor Gillaspie plated the innings final run. NOTES: Suzuki had three hits. ... Willingham returned to the Minnesota lineup after being given Saturday off. He went 0 for 4 and is 2 for 22 since last Monday. ... Eaton singled in the first inning and has reached base safely in 17 straight games ... Chicagos Chris Sale (6-1, 2.20) is scheduled to start Monday at Baltimore against the Orioles Wei-Yin Chen (7-2, 3.98). ... Kyle Gibson (6-5, 3.25) is to pitch for Minnesota Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series in Los Angeles against C.J. Wilson (7-6, 3.34) of the Angels. Custom Detroit Tigers Nike Jerseys . And I wanted to take this opportunity to share some of my experiences gained through International competition and the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Seven NHL referees and six linesmen will be assigned upcoming games in Sochi by the IIHF as part of their 28-man officiating roster comprised of 14 refs and 14 linesmen. Custom Baseball Jerseys . 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They did it anyway. Everybody who stepped to the plate for Detroit had at least one hit and scored one run, and a season-best offensive onslaught spurred the Tigers to a 16-4 rout of Kansas City on Thursday night. "Its not a big series. Its just another series. It was no statement," said Hunter, who led off the fifth with a homer, added another hit later in the inning and finished with three RBIs. "Its a good win because its in the division, but we werent trying to send a statement." Nevertheless, the Tigers extended their lead to 5 1/2 games over the Royals by capturing their third straight victory and fourth in a row in Kansas City -- winning those four games by a 42-12 margin. The latest offensive binge came just two days after Detroit blitzed the Dodgers 14-5. Detroit manager Brad Ausmus downplayed the outburst. "When you get as many hits and runs like we did today," Ausmus said, "youre usually finding holes." Drew Smyly (5-8) was the beneficiary, allowing four runs on eight hits and a walk in 6 2-3 innings for Detroit. He had lost six of his previous eight outings. Jeremy Guthrie (5-8) gave up a career-worst eight earned runs on eight hits, three walks and two hit batters. He was mercifully pulled with no outs in the fifth, which means the Royals veteran has allowed 16 earned runs in eight-plus innings covering his last two starts. "We didnt pitch good tonight. Thats the bottom line. Thats why they scored 16 runs," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "We didnt pitch good and we fell out of the game early." The Tigers stunned the Royals with three runs in the first, added three in the fourth and put up a season-best eight in the fifth. They ended up with 19 hits for the game. Miguel Cabrera and J.D. Martinez joined Hunter in driving in three runs apiece, while Ian Kinsler, Nick Castellanos and Eugenio Suarez each drove in two. "We didnt come here thinking we have to hold them off," Castellanos said.dddddddddddd "Were confident in where were going to be at the end of September." Billy Butler homered in the fourth for KC. Eric Hosmer hit a two-run shot in the seventh. ""Losing is never easy. Anytime, its not fun," Butler said. "Obviously that game took a long time. It felt like they were hitting the whole time." The tone of the game was set in the first inning, when four of the first five Tigers reached base. A series of singles, groundouts and sacrifice flies resulted in a 3-0 lead. "It gives you a little less pep for the game when it starts out like that," Guthrie said. Kansas City scratched out a run in the second, only for Detroit to score three more in the fourth. Cabrera delivered the big blow with a two-out, two-run double. The floodgates finally opened in the fifth, when Hunter began a parade of 12 batters to the plate with his 12th homer of the season. Castellanos also had two hits in the inning, and everybody in the lineup besides Austin Jackson and Don Kelly reached base before the carnage was over. "Its fun," Hunter said. "You get everybody involved, this is what it can look like." Guthrie was pulled after two batters, and recently signed Royals reliever Scott Downs gave up two more runs while retiring one batter. Louis Coleman, recalled from Triple-A Omaha, gave up four more runs to cap the worst pitching performance by the Royals this season. Kansas City had previously allowed 12 runs in a loss to Toronto on May 31. "Well just throw it away and move on," Yost said. "Well just let it go.": NOTES: Coleman took the roster place of LHP Jason Vargas (appendectomy), who was placed on the DL retroactive to Wednesday. ... Royals LF Alex Gordon (right wrist sprain) will miss the All-Star game. He was replaced on the AL roster by Angels SS Erick Aybar. ... Tigers DH Victor Martinez (back strain) remained out of the lineup. Ausmus declined to say whether he might play in the series. ... Detroit RHP Anibal Sanchez faces Kansas City LHP Danny Duffy on Friday night. ' ' '