''The Twins still have a good lineup,'' Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. ''They'll compete the same way -- but they won't forget that game. They can't erase it, and I can't erase it.''

The outcome this time also was very different from the 1-0 victory the Sox celebrated last season to clinch the American League Central title. The Twins bats broke out in a seven-run seventh for a decisive 12-5 victory, ending their six-game losing streak on the South Side.

Last season's one-game playoff became a classic, with the score decided by a Jim Thome home run.

''There was a lot of good and bad,'' Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said of that game. ''A heck of a Baseball game -- and probably the worst feeling you could ever have, losing a playoff game in the last game. The season ended right there, so you don't forget it. It was tough, very tough for everybody. It's not something anybody is ever going to forget.''

Friday's follow-up was a regrettable successor, with 25,422 fans in the awkward position of first cheering one of the enemy -- former Sox third baseman Joe Crede -- and then booing their own as the Twins' bats punished Sox pitching.

''They have a very good club,'' Thome said. ''They do a lot of nice things, and we know that.''

The Sox had their own surprising look with Jose Contreras on the mound, a prospect not expected after he tore his left Achilles on Aug. 9 and figured to miss nearly a year.

But he went five innings in his first start, trailing 4-3 when he left and having given up seven hits, including a home run by Crede in his first at-bat in the second.

''I got behind [2-0], and he took advantage,'' Contreras said of Crede's drive to the Sox bullpen.

The homer was reminiscent of another longtime Sox player's first appearance in another uniform, Frank Thomas. The Big Hurt came to the South Side as an Oakland Athletic in May 2006 and hit a pair of home runs in a 3-for-5 performance, including a first-at-bat homer.

''Contreras was pretty good,'' Guillen said. ''His first couple innings were a little struggle, but that's what we expected. He had some heavy counts [behind hitters], but we were prepared for that.''

Contreras took the loss, but the worst performance came from the bullpen, with three Sox relievers giving up seven runs in the seventh, starting with a Justin Morneau homer off Clayton Richard and not ending until 11 more Twins batted and six more runs scored. Richard, Mike MacDougal and D.J. Carrasco all were roughed up.

''That's the first time that's happened to the bullpen,'' Guillen said. ''Hopefully, it doesn't happen often this season.''

The Sox offense had some signs of life early against Twins knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (1-0). Paul Konerko hit his first homer of the season in the third, giving the Sox a 3-2 lead. Carlos Quentin hit his first homer, a two-run drive in the seventh that trimmed the deficit.

And DeWayne Wise ended his 0-for-12 streak with a single in the sixth, but the good quickly turned sour when he was caught trying to steal.

Comment at suntimes.com.

THE RECAP

AT THE PLATE

Paul Konerko homered in the third after doubling and scoring in the second, and much-booed outfielder DeWayne Wise singled in the sixth to end his 0-for-12 start. Carlos Quentin hit his first homer of the season in the seventh with Josh Fields on base.

ON THE MOUND

Jose Contreras wasn't expected to be back until midseason, but he had a much better showing in five innings than his successors. Three relievers -- Clayton Richard, Mike MacDougal and D.J. Carrasco -- were tagged for seven runs in the seventh when the Twins sent 12 men to the plate. Contreras gave up four runs on seven hits, but Richard and MacDougal each gave up two, with MacDougal facing only two batters and walking both. He has retired just one of five batters faced so far.

PIVOTAL POINT

With two on, no outs in the seventh, MacDougal walked Joe Crede to load the bases. Carrasco came in, giving up five straight singles.

BOX SCORE

Minnesota AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Span cf-lf 6 0 3 2 0 1 .368

ACasilla 2b 5 2 3 0 1 0 .318

Morneau 1b 5 1 2 4 0 0 .250

Kubel dh 5 1 1 1 1 0 .286

Cuddyer rf 4 1 0 0 1 1 .211

Crede 3b 3 2 1 1 2 0 .211

DYoung lf 4 0 1 2 0 2 .091

1-Gomez pr-cf 1 1 0 0 0 0 .133

JMorales c 3 2 2 0 2 0 .200

Punto ss 5 2 2 2 0 0 .250

Totals 41 12 15 12 7 4

SOX AB R H BI BB SO Avg.

Getz 2b 2 0 1 0 1 0 .214

a-Lillibridge ph-2b 2 0 0 0 0 1 .000

Fields 3b 2 1 1 2 1 1 .444

c-Betemit ph 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Quentin lf 4 1 1 2 1 0 .167

Thome dh 4 0 0 0 0 2 .200

Dye rf 3 0 0 0 0 1 .333

b-BAnderson ph-rf 1 0 0 0 0 1 .000

Konerko 1b 4 2 2 1 0 0 .308

Pierzynski c 4 0 0 0 0 0 .143

Ramirez ss 3 1 0 0 1 0 .000

Wise cf 4 0 2 0 0 0 .143

Totals 34 5 7 5 4 6

Minnesota 110 110 701--12 15 2

SOX 021 000 200-- 5 7 1

a-flied out for Getz in the 7th. b-struck out for Dye in the 7th. c-fouled out for Fields in the 9th.

1-ran for Young in the 7th.

E--DYoung (1), JMorales (1), Contreras (1). LOB--Minnesota 10, SOX 7. 2B--Morales (1), Konerko (1). 3B--ACasilla (1). HR--Quentin (1), off Duensing; Morneau (2), off Richard; Konerko (1), off Dickey; Crede (1), off Contreras. RBI--Span 2 (6), Morneau 4 (7), Kubel (2), Crede (1), DYoung 2 (2), Punto 2 (2), Fields 2 (3), Quentin 2 (2), Konerko (1). SB--Getz (1). CS--Wise (1). SF--Morneau.

Runners left in scoring position--Minnesota 6 (ACasilla, Morneau 2, Kubel, Cuddyer, DYoung); SOX 4 (Quentin 3, Dye).

Runners moved up--Casilla, Morneau 2, Punto.

Minnesota IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Dickey W, 1-0 5 4 3 3 4 4 104 5.40

Duensing H, 1 3 2 2 2 0 1 35 6.00

Humber 1 1 0 0 0 1 20 0.00

SOX IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA

Contreras L, 0-1 5 7 4 4 3 3 86 7.20

Richard 1 1 2 2 2 1 22 6.00

MacDougal 0 0 2 2 2 0 8 54.00

Carrasco 3 7 4 4 0 0 37 12.00

Richard pitched to 2 batters in the 7th, MacDougal pitched to 2 batters in the 7th.

Inherited runners-scored--MacDougal 1-0, Carrasco 3-3. HBP--by Duensing (Fields). WP--Humber, MacDougal. Balk--Richard.

Umpires--Home, Tim McClelland; First, Ted Barrett; Second, Greg Gibson; Third, Andy Fletcher. T--2:59. A--25,422.

HOW THEY SCORED

Twins first Span grounded out. Casilla walked. Morneau grounded out, Casilla to second. Kubel singled, Casilla scored. One run. Twins 1, Sox 0.

Twins second Crede homered. One run. Twins 2, Sox 0.

Sox second Konerko doubled. Pierzynski flied ou. Ramirez walked. Wise flied out. Getz walked, Konerko to third, Ramirez to second. Fields singled, Konerko scored, Ramirez scored, Getz to second. Two runs. Twins 2, Sox 2.

Sox third Thome grounded out. Dye struck out. Konerko homered. One run. Sox 3, Twins 2.

Twins fourth Young grounded out. Morales doubled. Punto grounded out. Span singled, Morales scored. One run. Twins 3, Sox 3.

Twins fifth Casilla tripled. Morneau singled. Casilla scored. One run. Twins 4, Sox 3.

Twins seventh Morneau homered. Kubel walked. MacDougal pitching. Cuddyer walked, Kubel to second. On MacDougal's wild pitch, Kubel to third. Crede walked, Cuddyer to second. Carrasco pitching. Young singled, Kubel scored, Cuddyer scored, Crede to second. Gomez pinch-running for Young. Morales singled, Crede to third, Gomez to second. Punto singled, Crede scored, Gomez scored, Morales to second. Span singled, Morales scored, Punto to second. Casilla singled, Punto to third, Span to second. Morneau hit a sacrifice fly, Punto scored. Seven runs. Twins 11, Sox 3.

Sox seventh Lillibridge pinch-hitting for Getz. Lillibridge flied out. Fields was hit by a pitch. Quentin homered, Fields scored. Two runs. Twins 11, Sox 5.

Twins ninth Punto singled. Span singled, Punto to second. Casilla grounded out, Punto to third, Span to second. Morneau grounded out, Punto scored, Span to third. One run. Twins 12, Sox 5.

TODAY: VS. Twins

- 3:05 p.m., Fox-32, 670-AM

Twins starter: FRANCISCO LIRIANO 0-1, 5.14

'08 vs. Sox : did not face

Career vs. Sox : 0-1, 3.86

How he's fared vs: A.J. Pierzynski 2-for-5; Jermaine Dye 1-for-4; Paul Konerko 1-for-4, HR

Sox starter: BARTOLO COLON 4-2, 3.92 (2008)

'08 vs. Minnesota: did not face

Career vs. Minnesota: 8-7, 4.33

How he's fared vs: Joe Crede 3-for-9, Justin Morneau 0-for-8, Delmon Young 3-for-6