MINNEAPOLIS -- Chris Herrmann sat on the bench watching his Minnesota Twins climb back into the game against the Chicago White Sox. The 25-year-old backup catcher was so caught up in the action that the possibility of pinch-hitting in the ninth inning hadnt even occurred to him. When Twins manager Ron Gardenhire told him to get ready, Herrmann had to scramble a bit before delivering the highlight of his young career. Herrmanns pinch-hit single in the bottom of the ninth scored pinch-runner Doug Bernier and lifted the Twins to a 4-3 victory over the White Sox on Thursday night. "With some young guys you have to tell them, You might have to hit here. Get a bat in your hand and at least look like youre ready to hit," Gardenhire said. "That was the case tonight when I told Herrmann, Would you please stand up and do something because I might use you." The Twins trailed 3-2 heading into the eighth, but Joe Mauer doubled and scored on a base hit from Justin Morneau to tie it. Herrmann came through against Ramon Troncoso (1-4) in the ninth to complete the comeback. The youngster got a Gatorade bath while doing the postgame interview and was able to laugh about being a little ill prepared after everything turned out OK. "I was just kind of sitting there watching the game and I didnt have any of my stuff ready which is my fault," he said. "I should have been more ready to go, but I guess it worked out as planned. Next time I wont do that. Ill be ready with batting gloves and my helmet and ready to go." Trevor Plouffe hit a solo homer and Mike Pelfrey gave up three runs and struck out four in 6 1-3 innings for the Twins. Paul Konerko had two hits and an RBI, and Andre Rienzo gave up two runs -- one earned -- on four hits with two strikeouts in six innings for the White Sox, who lost their 10th straight on the road. Jared Burton (2-6) pitched the ninth for the win. "Its a moment Im going to never forget and hopefully there will be more to come," Herrmann said. Plouffe led off the eighth with a single to left and Troncoso walked Chris Colabello. Clete Thomass bunt failed when catcher Josh Phegley threw Plouffe out at third, but Herrmann squeezed a base hit just past a diving Konerko at first to win it. Gardenhire said he thought Pelfrey could be running out of gas as his innings total has climbed over 100 in his first season back from Tommy John surgery, and he got off to a sluggish start that appeared to support that theory. Pelfrey gave up RBI singles to Adam Dunn and Konerko to fall behind 2-0 in the first. But Pelfrey was able to grind into the seventh and keep the Twins in the game, working much quicker on the mound this time around after being prodded by the Twins coaching staff to speed things up for most of the season. Plouffe got the Twins on the board in the fifth with a home run into the bullpen in centre field and Josh Willinghams single scored Brian Dozier to cut the lead to 3-2 in the sixth. With White Sox manager Robin Ventura trying to groom Nate Jones as the teams setup man of the future, he sent the right-hander out there in the eighth to face lefties Morneau and Mauer rather than going to left-hander Donnie Veal. Mauer, who had five hits in a loss to the Indians on Wednesday, ripped a double to centre field and just beat a strong throw home from right fielder Avisail Garcia to tie it 3-3. White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham left the game in the fourth inning with a strained right quadriceps. Beckham, who leads the team with a .310 average, went 1 for 2 with a single and a run scored before being pulled for what the team called precautionary reasons. "Going down the first base line in the second at-bat he probably felt it more than he has," Ventura said. "If you cant run hard without feeling it, you probably shouldnt play." NOTES: White Sox OF Dayan Viciedo missed his sixth straight game with a sore left thumb. Ventura said Viciedo was making progress. ... Twins GM Terry Ryan said C/OF Ryan Doumit (head) has been improving and could be activated as soon as Friday. ... RHP Nick Blackburn, who has spent all season at Triple-A Rochester, will have surgery on a torn meniscus in his right knee on Friday, Ryan said. ... RHP Kevin Correia (8-8, 4.59) is scheduled to pitch for the Twins on Friday against White Sox LHP Jose Quintana (6-4, 3.70). Doug Flutie Jersey . The Dutchmans tenure got off to a poor start when referee Guido Winkmann awarded a penalty within two minutes for Niklas Starks clumsy challenge on Alexandru Maxim. Buffalo Bills Jerseys . The Hall of Fame defenceman told Landsberg that he believes fighting still has a place in todays game, but thinks staged fighting needs be outlawed. http://www.shoptheofficialbills.com/Elite-Thurman-Thomas-Bills-Jersey/ . Brandon Morrow allowed five runs on six hits over three innings. He struck out two, walked one and hit a batter. Edwin Encarnacion had a two-out, bases loaded two-RBI double in the third inning. O. J. Simpson Jersey .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. Andre Reed Jersey . Thousands of Southern California fans enveloped the Trojans to celebrate an improbable win secured by an interim coach, an inconsistent kicker and a thin defence that wouldnt break. WASHINGTON -- Yanina Wickmayer beat Lauren Davis 6-4, 6-2 in the Citi Open final Sunday to win the fifth WTA title of her career.Wickmayer, a 26-year-old Belgian who was seeded No. 7 at the hard-court tournament, is the third woman to win both the singles and doubles championships at the same event this season.She teamed with Monica Niculescu to win the doubles at the Citi Open on Saturday.Its such a great feeling to win titles and to hold that trophy at the end of the week, said Wickmayer, who entered with a ranking of 44th. Being able to hold two trophies this week has been great.In her only other appearance in Washington, in 2013, Wickmayer lost in the first round.This was the first singles title of the season for Wickmayer, whose best Grand Slam showing was a run to the semifinals of the U..dddddddddddd. Open in 2009.She said playing in both singles and doubles while dealing with the heat that was in the 90s for much of the tournament was not easy.It was a real battle out there every day, mentally and physically, Wickmayer said. I just had to stay strong every day. ... I was feeling tired by the end of the week.Davis is a 22-year-old American who is ranked 122nd and was playing in her first WTA final.She had won only three main-draw, tour-level matches all year until winning four in a row on the way to reaching the title match at the Citi Open.I know how it felt being out there the first time in my career, playing a final, Wickmayer said. Its not easy. ' ' '
