CHICAGO -- As openers go, this one was promising for the Chicago White Sox. Sean Manaea Jersey . Now, all they have to do is build on it. Alejandro De Aza hit two homers, and Jose Abreu had two hits in his major league debut to back Chris Sale and lead the White Sox to a 5-3 season-opening victory over the Minnesota Twins on Monday. "Its a big deal because of what last year was," manager Robin Ventura said. Last year was a 99-loss nightmare, a collapse after they finished second in the AL Central in 2012. This year, they insist, will be better. They are off to a good start, even if they beat a team that is trying to stop a losing cycle. Sale got the win, pitching five-hit ball into the eighth. Paul Konerko got a loud ovation before what was likely his final opener, although he didnt play. The White Sox got clutch hits, hustled on the bases, and played error-free ball to start the season on a winning note. Abreu doubled on the first pitch he saw leading off the second inning against Ricky Nolasco and scored on De Azas two-run homer to give Chicago a 2-0 lead. He also drove in the go-ahead run with a single during a two-run third after Minnesotas Kurt Suzuki tied it with a two-run single in the top half. It was a good start for Abreu, who insisted he didnt feel any real first-game jitters. That line drive double to right, on a ball that Oswaldo Arcia appeared to misjudge, didnt hurt. "You wanted to get that first one out of the way," Abreu, who signed a six-year, $68 million deal in the off-season, said through an interpreter. "Once you get it, its a very happy moment. The first thing I thought of was my mother." Abreus family is expected to join him at some point this season. He wouldnt say where his mom is, other than "somewhere close, but we cant really comment on that." De Aza made it 5-2 with a solo shot just over the right-field wall in the sixth inning for his first career multihomer game. It was also the first for Chicago on opening day since Jim Thome at Cleveland in 2008, and the first by a White Sox player in a season opener at home since 1960, when Minnie Minoso hit two against the Kansas City Athletics. That was enough for Sale, who allowed three runs and struck out eight and walked one. The two-time All-Star came out with a 5-2 lead with one out and a runner on second in the eighth. Ronald Belisario allowed a two-out RBI single to Suzuki before Donnie Veal retired Joe Mauer on a grounder. Matt Lindstrom came on in the ninth after being announced as the closer by Ventura before the game. The right-hander gave up a one-out double to Chris Colabello before striking out Trevor Plouffe and retiring Arcia on a grounder to the mound for his first save since April 2011 when he was with Colorado. Nolasco took the loss in a shaky debut with Minnesota. One of the top free agent pitchers last winter, he gave up five runs and 10 hits in six innings. "I thought we played good, we battled all game," Nolasco said. "Put up some runs, gave a good fight to Chris Sale and made it interesting late. Come back tomorrow or the next day and try and build off that." The Twins are trying to pick themselves up after back-to-back 96-loss seasons and dropping a staggering 291 games the past three years. There was a glitch before the game with the Twins replay system as two blown fuses disabled a pair of monitors in the Minnesota clubhouse. That was fixed in time for the first pitch, but things didnt get much better for the Twins. That is because the White Sox got the big hits from Abreu and De Aza to back Sale. Notes: Konerko had started the previous 15 openers for the White Sox and 16 straight overall. He is in a reduced role after re-signing for one year. ... Minnesota LHP Brian Duensing was placed on the paternity list before Mondays game. RHP Michael Tonkin was recalled from Triple-A Rochester to replace Duensing, whose wife Lisa gave birth to a boy named Boston Matthew Duensing. . Twins general manager Terry Ryan didnt travel with the team to Chicago. Ryan was undergoing radiation to treat cancer. 20:29ET 31-03-14 Jed Lowrie Jersey . Alexander was released last week by the Edmonton Eskimos, where he spent the past three seasons at safety. He had 121 defensive tackles, five special teams tackles and seven interceptions in 51 regular-season and three playoff games. Bruce Maxwell Jersey . The agreement comes a little more than one week after the video game manufacturer agreed to a $40 million settlement in a similar but separate case, bringing the total payout planned for athletes to $60 million, said Steve Berman, an attorney for the plaintiffs, and the NCAA. http://www.athleticsrookiestore.com/Athletics-Terry-Steinbach-Kids-Jersey/ . MORITZ, Switzerland -- Latvia won a four-man World Cup bobsled race Sunday, while the U.HOUSTON -- Texans Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Cushing is out for the season with a left knee injury that will require surgery. Cushing was injured in the third quarter of Sundays loss at Kansas City during a low block by running back Jamaal Charles. Its the second straight year Cushing has been lost for the season with a left knee injury. He tore the anterior cruciate ligament in the same knee in Week 5 last season. Its a devastating blow for a team that has lost five games in a row heading into its bye on Sunday. "I think he was playing at a defensive player of the year-type of level," coach Gary Kubiak said. "Then here he goes again, hes got to go through this. So I know its very difficult for him ... (and) I know Cush will do everything he can to get back. But you hate to see anybody go through that especially twice now." The Texans signed Cushing to a six-year contract worth $55.6 million before this season. Kubiak said injuries to left tackle Duane Brown (ankle), running back Arian Foster (hamstring) and Ben Tate (ribs) arent serious. Tate was injured in the third quarter on Sunday but returned and finished the game. He told The Associated Press on Monday that he has four broken ribs. He was in a lot of pain, even wincing when he took off his sweatshirt, but said that he expects to be ready to play when Houston hosts Indianapolis on Nov. 3. "Ill be OK," he said. Kubiak also said rookies Cierre Wood, Sam Montgomery and Willie Jefferson were released for violating team rules. He wouldnt specify what the players did, but did say it wasnt just one thing. "I make decisions based on a body of work in everything I do," he said. "Ive got five months of work invested with those three young men and I made a decision today to move forward. Weve got some thingss we need to address as a football team. Andrew Triggs Jersey. " Wood is a running back who was third on the depth chart after making the team as an undrafted free agent. With Foster and Tate both banged up, the Texans will need to add depth at that position with one of the open roster spots. Montgomery, a third-round pick, and Jefferson, who was undrafted, are both linebackers. "Weve got some rebuilding to do inside with some issues and weve got some special teams issues," Kubiak said. "So the moves that we make have got to be special teams-oriented to help (special teams coach) Joe (Marciano)." Players wouldnt discuss why the three were dismissed from the team, but said they agreed with Kubiaks decision. "Its a shame," linebacker Brooks Reed said. "But its for the betterment of the team." Another issue for the Texans is the health of quarterback Matt Schaub. Schaub struggled this season before missing last weeks game with ankle and foot injuries. Former third-stringer Case Keenum got the start on Sunday in his first NFL game. He performed well for most of the game before a fumble late in the fourth quarter sealed Houstons loss. Kubiak was cagey when asked if Schaub would start after the bye if hes healthy. "Ive got to sit down and look at our situation and whats going on right now," he said. "Obviously Matts our starting quarterback, Case played this week because Matt wasnt healthy. Case went in and played extremely well. Im going to sit down on our bye week and evaluate where were at as a team and move forward from there." But he did rave about Keenums performance against the undefeated Chiefs. "To go in Kansas City in that environment and that noise and handle the football team the way he handled it I thought was impressive," Kubiak said. 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