CHICAGO -- Matthew LeCroy hit a go-ahead RBI single in a three-run 11th inning and the Minnesota Twins sent first-place Chicago to another crushing defeat, beating the fading White Sox 4-1 on Thursday night.
Chicago now lead Cleveland by only 1½ games in the AL Central after the Indians beat Kan-sas City 11-6 Thursday night.
Chicago, which led the division by 15 games on Aug. 1, has lost 10 of 14.
Chicago loaded the bases in the ninth and had runners on first and second in the 10th, but couldn't score before the Twins broke through against reliever Bobby Jenks (1-1).
Lew Ford, who didn't start the game for the Twins, got a leadoff double in the 11th when his looping fly fell in front of diving center fielder Aaron Rowand. After Joe Mauer was intentionally walked with one out, LeCroy singled to break a 1-1 tie. Jacque Jones, who had homered earlier, then drove a two-run double to right-center.
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Jesse Crain (11-5), who got out of the 10th-inning first-and-second predicament by getting Tadahito Iguchi to hit into a double play, picked up the win. Joe Nathan pitched the 11th for his 39th save.
After Minnesota ace Johan Santana and Chicago rookie Brandon McCarthy dueled for eight innings, each allowing one run and four hits, the White Sox loaded the bases with one out in the ninth with two singles and a walk off Juan Rincon. But Rincon retired Jermaine Dye and Juan Uribe on fly balls to end the threat.
McCarthy took a 1-0 lead with two outs in the seventh when Jones hit his 23rd homer to deep right.
Joe Crede, 2-for-23 in his career against Santana, hit his 20th homer with one out in the sixth as the White Sox took a 1-0 lead and finally broke through against Santana, who had dominated them all season.
Prior to the homer, Santana had thrown 21Zc scoreless innings against the White Sox. The left-hander was 4-0, had an 0.86 ERA and allowed just 20 hits in 31Zc innings in his four previous starts against Chicago this season.
Dye's double in the second was Chicago's first hit and Santana's mix of speed and movement kept the White Sox off balance until Crede connected. Crede had a game-winning, 10th-inning homer Tuesday night against Cleveland.
McCarthy, a tangle of arms and legs at 6-foot-7 and 190 pounds, matched Santana, the reigning Cy Young Award winner, for five innings by allowing one hit, a leadoff single to Jason Tyner.
He didn't give up another until Terry Tiffee singled leading off the sixth and then brushed Luis Rivas with a pitch, giving the Twins their first serious threat of the game. But catcher Chris Widger pounced on Tyner's bunt and threw to third for a forceout. Then Crede fielded Jason Bartlett's grounder to third, stepped on the bag and threw to first for the inning-ending double play.
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NOTES: The White Sox turned four double plays and CF Rowand made a couple of nice running catches. ... McCarthy's eight innings were a career high. ... Slumping Ford (6-for-32 entering the game) didn't start before pinch-hitting in the ninth.
