"Why not?" Gardenhire said. "Just try to move people around and see what happens. You never know. We didn't exactly light it up (Thursday) and we haven't scored a lot of runs yet."

The result: instant offense.

The Twins pounded the White Sox 12-5 on Friday. Morneau homered and had four RBI. Former White Sox star Joe Crede homered in his first at-bat against his former club. Denard Span and Alexi Casilla each had three hits. Jose Morales reached base four times and has done so in seven of his eight plate appearances at U.S. Cellular Field.

Gardenhire's fifth lineup in five days worked like a charm. With Mauer expected to be out until the end of the month because of a sore sacroiliac joint, the Twins are trying to make do. Despite adding Crede as a free agent and banking on more production from Jason Kubel and Delmon Young, the lineup is built around Morneau.

And he came through with an RBI single in the fifth, an opposite-field homer and sacrifice fly in the seventh, and an RBI grounder in the ninth.

"He came up in some big situations, and he had more opportunities, too,'' Gardenhire said. "I think that's what you're looking for, to keep him in situations where he has a chance to drive in runs. That's what he does best.

"We've got to figure out where in the lineup to keep him. (Friday) it worked out."

The Twins came to the park with Crede on their side this time. Fans gave him a standing ovation during a video tribute before the game and once again when he batted in the second inning.

"A lot of fans were saying, `That's the last time you're going to get cheered here,' " Crede said.

And those cheers quickly turned to boos when he homered on a 2-0 pitch from Jose Contreras, giving the Twins a 2-0 lead. Crede didn't ask for the ball, but Dustin Morse of the Twins' Baseball communications department made sure it was retrieved for him, just in case.

But, by the time the game reached the late innings, White Sox fans turned those boos on their own players. Mainly their bullpen, as the Twins scored seven runs in the seventh inning off relievers Clayton Richard. Mike MacDougal and D.J. Carrasco.

After Morneau's homer, the Twins drew three consecutive walks, followed by five successive singles. It was the first time the Twins had nine batters in a row reach base since Sept. 15, 2003, at Cleveland.

It allowed knuckleballer R.A. Dickey to pitch five innings and earn the victory. He said he felt stronger as the game went on in his first start as a Twin .

It looks like the lineup might be a keeper -- or maybe just Morneau in the No. 3 hole.

"It was a matter of getting some guys swinging,'' Gardenhire said. "We had a lot of good at-bats and a lot of guys had good nights.''

GAME RECAP

IMPACT PLAYER

Justin Morneau

The Twins' first baseman was 2-for-5 with a homer and four RBI.

BY THE NUMBERS

6 Length of Twins losing streak at U.S. Cellular Field before Friday.

299 career HR for Chicago's Paul Konerko

UP NEXT

Twins lefty Francisco Liriano faces Chicago's Bartolo Colon today.

LA VELLE E. NEAL III

Up next: at Chicago - 3:05 p.m. today

U.S. Cellular Field - TV: Ch. 9 (1500-AM)