Minnesota @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 8, 2011 ) Minnesota 8, Chi. White Sox 5

THE STORY: Minnesota looks to continue its dominance over Chicago when it plays the third of a four-game weekend road series Saturday afternoon. The Twins are 6-0 against the White Sox in 2011, earning a 6-2 win in Thursday's series opener before coming back from an early four-run deficit Friday for an 8-5 victory. Minnesota starter Nick Blackburn is now 3-0 against Chicago this season.

TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, Fox (national)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Brian Duensing (6-7, 4.25) vs. White Sox LH Mark Buehrle (6-5, 3.66). Duensing has lacked consistency, but when he has been good, he has been very good. He tossed a complete-game shutout in his last outing, holding Tampa Bay to six hits in a July 4 victory. Control has been an issue of late, though — Duensing has walked four in each of his last two starts. In 10 career games, including four starts, against the White Sox, he's posted a 4-0 record and a 2.50 ERA in 36 innings. Chicago batters are hitting .316 (31-for-98) against him, though, led by Carlos Quentin (7-for-12, 3 HRs, 6 RBIs). Buehrle has settled down after a subpar April, going 5-2 with a 2.91 ERA over his last 11 starts. He has been particularly sharp at home, where he is 4-1 with a 2.83 ERA in eight starts. Buehrle lost a 1-0 heartbreaker at Minnesota on June 16 despite allowing just one run on three hits in seven innings of work. He is 25-19 in his career against the Twins, with Michael Cuddyer (33-for-96, 3 HRs, 11 RBIs) giving Buehrle the most trouble.

ABOUT THE WHITE SOX (43-47): Though Chicago boasts one of the most productive hitters in the game in All-Star first baseman Paul Konerko (.319, 22 HRs, 65 RBIs), its offense remains inconsistent. A big part of the problem has been DH Adam Dunn, who is on track for a historically ugly season despite his two-run homer Friday. Dunn is batting just .164 (43-for-262) with nine home runs and 115 strikeouts in 262 at-bats. Alex Rios hasn't been much better, batting just .214 with 21 RBIs.

ABOUT THE TWINS (40-47): Minnesota has been on a roller-coaster ride all season, climbing out of an early 17-37 hole by winning 15 of 17 games before dropping six straight in late June. The Twins are 8-2 since that skid, however, keeping themselves within shouting distance in a mediocre AL Central. Cuddyer (.298, 13 HRs, 42 RBIs) has been one of the few bright spots for an offense that has struggled to make up for extended injury absences by Joe Mauer (29 games played), Justin Morneau (55) and Jim Thome (39).

FINAL PITCH: Neither team has been particularly patient at the plate this season — no American League team has drawn fewer walks than the Twins (240), while the White Sox are 25th in the majors with 260.