“CHICAGO: The Chicago White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 1-0 to claim the American League Central division and the last berth in the Major League Baseball playoffs on Tuesday.

The White Sox joined the Cubs in the postseason, the first time since 1906 that both Chicago teams made it.

Next up for the White Sox, a first-round matchup with the surprising Tampa Bay Rays. Game 1 is on Thursday at Tampa Bay.

The White Sox got a huge boost on Tuesday from two of their oldest players: Jim Thome and Ken Griffey Jr., both longing for their first World Series championship.

Thome’s home run on a 2-2 pitch from rookie Nick Blackburn cleared two rows of shrubs in center at U.S. Cellular Field, traveling an estimated 461 feet (140 meters) to snap a scoreless tie in the seventh. It was the 541st homer for Thome, who raised his right fist as he rounded first base. He hadn’t been to the playoffs since 2001.

Griffey, who came to the White Sox in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds so he could have a chance at playing in the postseason, cut down Michael Cuddyer with a nice throw in the fifth. Griffey, who like Thome is 38, will be making his first postseason appearance since 1997 with Seattle.

John Danks, on three days’ rest for the first time, pitched eight innings of two-hit ball for Chicago, which had to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-2 on Monday in a makeup game to tie Minnesota for the division lead and force the tiebreaker game.

Danks (12-9) delivered in the biggest came of his brief career. He won a duel with Blackburn (11-11), who had retired 13 of 14 before Thome led off the seventh with his long homer.”