Liriano throws Twins' first no-hitter since 1999

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CHICAGO -- Francisco Liriano pitched the fifth no-hitter in Minnesota Twins history, leading them to a 1-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox in the opener of a two-game set.

Liriano helped snap a six-game slide by becoming the first Twins hurler since Eric Milton on September 11, 1999, against Anaheim to hold an opponent hitless.

The White Sox hadn't been no-hit since Bret Saberhagen of the Kansas City Royals did it on August 26, 1991.

Liriano (2-4) walked six and fanned two, needing 123 pitches to accomplish the feat.

"I went out there and just took one pitch at a time, one hitter at a time," said Liriano.

Jason Kubel's one-out solo homer in the fourth inning was all the offense the Twins required on Tuesday.

Edwin Jackson (2-4) was the hard-luck loser, after allowing six hits and one run over eight full frames for Chicago, which has lost six of seven.

"I was asking people, 'What should a manager say?'" said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, who had never been on the losing end of a no-hitter. "Every time that's happened, I'm the one that won."

Liriano took his no-hitter into the eighth despite walking four.

He induced a pop out from Alex Rios, and walked Ramon Castro but was the beneficiary of an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play off the bat of Gordon Beckham.

The relay throw from Twins second baseman Alexi Casilla pulled Justin Morneau off the bag at first base, but he was apparently able to tag Beckham for the final out. Multiple replays, though, showed the tag attempt didn't come close.

In the ninth, Brent Morel grounded to short, and Morneau was able to dig out a low throw from Matt Tolbert. Juan Pierre walked but Alexei Ramirez popped to short. Adam Dunn took three balls before Liriano countered with two strikes, then Tolbert squeezed Dunn's liner to end the game.

"I thought it was a base hit," Liriano said of the final out. "I'm very happy, very excited."

It was the first regular-season no-hitter since Matt Garza of Tampa Bay shut down Detroit, 5-0, on July 26, 2010.

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