White Sox 6, Twins 0: Chris Sale pitched six innings of three-hit ball and Kevin Youkilis hit a home run as visiting Chicago won the opener of a three-game series to preserve its one-game lead in the American League Central.

Sale (17-6) struck out five over six scoreless frames to win his second straight outing and improve to 10-2 in 13 starts at U.S. Cellular Field. Brett Myers tossed two perfect innings in relief and Matt Thornton worked around a two-out single by Justin Morneau in the ninth to finish Chicago's ninth shutout of the season. The Twins have been blanked 10 times.

Alex Rios had two hits and an RBI and Dayan Viciedo added two RBIs for the White Sox, who stayed a game ahead of Detroit. The Tigers posted a 4-0 triumph over Cleveland earlier on Friday.

Twins starter Esmerling Vasquez (0-2) was hurt by four walks as he allowed three runs on as many hits over 5 2/3 innings in his third major-league start. Vasquez issued three straight walks in the fourth, including one to Viciedo with the bases loaded to make it 2-0.

Youkilis lined a solo shot into the left-field seats in the two-run seventh. He has hit 15 of his 19 homers since joining the White Sox on June 25.

GAME NOTEBOOK: White Sox DH Adam Dunn missed his seventh straight game with a strained right oblique. Dunn took batting practice and hopes to return Saturday. … The White Sox have won 12 of 16 against the Twins this season. … Twins C Joe Mauer missed his fourth straight game with back spasms.