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MINNEAPOLIS -- Last in the American League in hitting and scoring, the Chicago White Sox started to find some offence this week in Minnesota. Adam Dunns big bat has been a key part of that. Dunn homered twice, doubled and drove in five runs, powering the White Sox past the Twins 9-4 on Wednesday. The nine runs are a season high. "Pitching obviously wins you games, but as far as the energy level and things like that, if the team is hitting, then the energy level will be up," Dunn said, adding: "Hopefully it carries over and this is the start of something good." Dunn hit a pair of two-run shots for his 35th career multihomer game. Hes hit three home runs in the past two games and has nine this year. Dayan Viciedo also went deep for the second straight day, helping Dylan Axelrod (1-3) pick up his first victory this season. Dunn wouldve had four homers in the series if Twins centre fielder Aaron Hicks hadnt made a leaping catch over the wall. "Hes a guy youre excited to see up. When he gets hot, its fun to watch," Axelrod said. Mike Pelfrey (3-4) was hit hard yet again, failing to record an out in the fifth inning. Dunn was the last batter he faced, delivering an RBI double that put the White Sox ahead 4-2. The 33-year-old slugger hit both of his homers with two outs, in the third off a changeup from Pelfrey in an eight-pitch at-bat and in the eighth off Josh Roenicke. "Hes a strong young man and you throw the ball up there, hes going to get you," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. Dunn is 8 for 28 with seven walks and two homers in his career against Pelfrey. "I obviously didnt pitch in as effectively as I should have. He made me pay for it," Pelfrey said. Dunn finished 3 for 4 with a walk and still has the third-worst batting average in the majors, at .156, for players with the minimum amount of at-bats. But the White Sox didnt sign him to a $56 million contract to hit singles, and the 6-foot-6, 285-pound first baseman can still drive a ball deep with the best of them. "Hes been working hard all year to do what he does, and finally it looks like hes found something right. Thats good because he helps everyone," said teammate Alex Rios, who scored three runs on a 3-for-4 afternoon. Nine of Dunns 20 hits this season are home runs. After leading the majors with 222 strikeouts last year, Dunn has fanned 48 times in 2013, another 200-plus pace. Houstons Chris Carter has 60 strikeouts, tops in either league. For the White Sox, batting .236 with 136 runs in 38 games, both last in the AL, this resurgence couldnt have come soon enough. Dunn was pleased more by where the balls he hit, to centre field and left, went than how hard he hit them. "Ive had a couple of those pitches in a couple of these previous games that I rolled over and hit to second base," Dunn said. Rios has at least one hit in his past 10 games and is batting .390 during the streak. "Thats why hes batting third. He does a lot of good things," manager Robin Ventura said. Axelrod finished 5 1-3 innings, allowing nine hits, three runs and one walk while fighting through a leg cramp in the sixth. The right-hander struck out four, including Ryan Doumit and Oswaldo Arcia in consecutive at-bats in the fifth after Josh Willingham was hit by a pitch and Justin Morneau singled to start the inning. Jamey Carroll and Joe Mauer each had three hits, and Morneau added a pair of singles on his 32nd birthday. Eduardo Escobar homered off Axelrod, Willingham drove in two runs and Carroll added an RBI single against reliever Matt Lindstrom. Mauers 14-game hitting streak is his longest in four years and the third-longest of his career. Morneau has at least one hit in his past 11 games, batting .422 in that span. Pelfreys hold on a spot in the rotation has been slipping. The right-hander, barely one year removed from Tommy John surgery, saw his ERA spike to 6.57, the third-highest in the majors among those with a qualified number of innings. Opponents are batting .339 against him, also the third-highest in the majors. Pelfrey allowed eight hits, five runs and two walks while striking out three. NOTES: Twins RHP Vance Worleys ERA (7.15) and batting average against (.379) are still worse than Pelfreys. ... The White Sox sent 2B Gordon Beckham (broken left wrist) and INF Angel Sanchez (back injury) on minor league rehab assignments. ... Rios is a .372 career hitter at Target Field. His 42 hits here are behind only Miguel Cabrera for the most among Twins opponents. ... The Twins start a three-game series against the Red Sox on Friday, with Worley facing Clay Buchholz, who is unbeaten in six decisions this season. ... The White Sox begin a four-game road series against the Angels on Thursday. LHP Jose Quintana (2-1, 3.72 ERA) will pitch against RHP Jerome Williams (2-1, 3.06) of the Angels. Nike Sneaker Schweiz Store .J. -- Seven games into a disappointing season, New York Giants defensive catalyst Jason Pierre-Paul is getting the feeling hes back. Günstig Nike Schuhe Schweiz . Brett Kulak and Jackson Houck of the Vancouver Giants were each charged with assault causing bodily harm on Aug. 18, according to the B.C. court services. http://www.nikeschuheoutlet.ch/ .Y. - Nelson Mandela will be honoured by the New York Yankees with a plaque in Monument Park. Nike Schuhe Schweiz . In taking its goal tally to 99 in all competitions already this season, City delivered another demonstration of its lethal firepower at Etihad Stadium to set up a fourth-round match at home to another second-tier team -- Watford. Nike Schuhe Schweiz Online . Thats not a comment on the suspension that banished the Portland Winterhawks general manager and coach from his Western Hockey League teams bench for most of the 2012-13 season. It has been an odd season at Kent CCC. They could not make it past the group stages in the competition they were tipped to fare best in, the T20 Blast, but are right in the mix for promotion to Division One in the County Championship, and are preparing for a home quarter-final - against Yorkshire on Thursday - in the Royal London Cup.Equally, their players continue to reach for higher honours and the areas deep well of talent shows no signs of drying: Sam Billings has been to the IPL and with England, while Daniel Bell-Drummond shone for the Lions.And yet, theres been a quiet but constant state of turbulence at Canterbury.On April 18, Kent legend Robert Key returned from India, having taken to broadcasting like a duck to water during the World T20, and decided the hunger to reach 60 first-class centuries had dipped. The 54 he had, a bit of telly and a bucketload of golf would do just fine. His team-mates were shocked, and the beating heart of the dressing room and 18 seasons of experience (nine as captain) were gone, taking a roomful of laughs with it.Then, on May 23, Kents high performance director (and former wicketkeeper), Simon Willis, left to take up a similar role with Sri Lanka, under former Kent coach Graham Ford. Willis, as director of Kents newly-formed academy from 2003, had overseen the development of a charmingly homespun young squad, and six internationals. Off went another lynchpin.To top things off, on June 27, bowler Matt Coles behaviour during a trip to Cardiff was investigated by the club. He would not play for a month as he - not for the first time - addressed his relationship with alcohol. Were the first and third events linked? Certainly Key had been Coles mentor, and the man known for keeping him in check.At the eye of the storm sits Sam Northeast, Kents new captain, top run-scorer and full-time busybody. Batsman Joe Denly describes Northeast as first in the nets, last to leave. Sams always trying to be better. When arranging this interview, there are three delays. First, because Northeast is in a selection meeting; then hes travelling to Hampshire to watch Kents second team; finally hes looking at his squads contract situation for next season. Only James Vince is a younger county captain - Northeast is 26 - but few can be more hands-on.Such is life at a club like Kent, where the resources are stretched and the staff small. We dont… he says, pausing, have the luxury of millions of backroom staff and scouts and whatever. Its a big effort from a small group of people, we pull together and from the academy, the youth structure, everyone. There can be benefits to this - everyone knows each other, its a family environment, and that helps. We have to put in a big shift. All of us.Northeast is as Kentish as Key; its where he grew up and his name is one that has been whispered since he scored 19 hundreds in a term at Wellesley House prep school aged 13. He played plenty for England Under-19, and his success leading Kents limited-overs sides last season meant his elevation to the top job, in time, seemed a given.Im learning on the job, just like anyone else. I took a lot from Keysy, both tactically and in work ethic. He was a great mentor, as well as having a pretty serious cricket brain, and all those runs. He pretty much ran Kent cricket for all those years…Its been very different not having him around, for all of us. People look to you for inspiration and leadership because he did that for so long, and maybe we took that for granted. I only noticed when I stepped into the role how much of a big hole was left when he moved on.What of those tough patches? Its been an interesting season, certainly, he says, whilst swiftly citing the support of senior players like Denly, Darren Stevens and James Tredwell, plus Billings itinerant experience. Willis, he says, is a huge loss - not just a vital, visible cog at the club, with his pawprints all over the squad, but a key player in Northeeasts own development as a hands-off coach who never imposed himself on his charges.ddddddddddddDenly has been mighty impressed. He hasnt let the pressure of captaincy bother his batting, and his on-field persona is very calm. He can be a bit fiery when he gets out, but who isnt? Hes dealt with distractions well, and he has good people around him with lots of experience, and the powers that be at Kent are in pretty good shape.Despite their losses, Kent are in pretty good shape. Last year they earned headlines for not being able to afford an overseas player, but this year - one way or another - Tom Latham and Kagiso Rabada were recruited. Denly has signed a new deal and Northeast is confident they will not lose young stars and can, in Willis absence, with Min Patel at the helm, continue to produce talent.For the first team, starting against Yorkshire, it is business time. We go in as underdogs, says Northeast. The pressure isnt on us, they will have all the internationals which is great. It would be awesome to get a sellout, the club deserves a big day like this, and hopefully we get out on top. We are up there in Division Two because we have been pretty solid all season, but I think we are well suited - especially the bowlers, Treddy, Stevo - to 50-over stuff. But every game is massive now. Were young, so inconsistent, but are learning fast. Northeasts own form - not least 995 Championship runs, including four massive hundreds (the smallest being 166) - has been a vital factor in Kents rise. After some mixed seasons opening, he is settled in the middle order, and knows his game: I have found a spot where I like to bat, especially with the captaincy, after however long in the field, its quite nice to have that little period where you dont have to strap the pads on. I have a lot of sympathy for Alastair Cook when he does it. Thats pretty extraordinary. I look back and cant believe I ever opened. Its mad.He uses former Kent team-mate Martin van Jaarsveld as inspiration because he was a guy who just never settled and never stopped trying to improve. Ahead of the 2015 season, he and Willis worked on making him a more adaptable batsman, particularly in the shorter forms, so he did not just hit to cow corner. The results were instant, as only two players scored more T20 Blast runs than him, and his century famously trumped Chris Gayles as Kent won a thriller in Taunton.Another run glut, this time against red balls, has flowed lately. Across my career, Im a guy who tends to make the most of my form. Ive felt great recently, and when you feel a millions dollars its key to capitalise. Unfortunately Ive been stuck in the nervous 190s lately.Those big centuries have caught the eye, and Northeast is unashamedly ambitious, making no bones about being desperate for England recognition, having - surprisingly - never even made a Lions squad. He is aware, too, that playing in Division Two naturally does hold you back in peoples perceptions, and there is a gap. In the past, particularly in 2013, there were questions about whether he might leave, but he has remained loyal, even as the more eye-catching - but no less effective - talents of Billings and Bell-Drummond have created more headlines.So is he - as captain of a promising squad, building something (and sometimes holding things together), at his home club, his team - left in a quandary?At the moment, I wouldnt leave to further my England case, no, he says. But can you ever say never? My heart is very much in Kent cricket and wanting to achieve something here. I want to play for England through Kent, and I want to get Kent into Division One and back up there as a force, one of the leading counties in England. Its been an ambition of mine to captain Kent and take the club as far as possible. Im very lucky.So, you sense, are Kent. ' ' '