MINNEAPOLIS - Twins manager Ron Gardenhire wasn't about to take Eric Milton out after the eighth inning, even though the Minnesota starter had thrown about 120 pitches.

"I'm not man enough to try to take the ball away from him," Gardenhire said. "He would have knocked me out."

Milton stayed in to pitch his fourth career shutout and Michael Cuddyer hit his first career grand slam as the Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 6-0 Thursday night.

Milton (13-7), who gave up six runs off 11 hits in his last outing against the White Sox, held Chicago to three hits, striking out 11 and walking none with two wild pitches in Minnesota's first complete-game shutout of the season.

"I just wanted the opportunity," Milton said. "He never came down to my end of the bench, so I figured I had the chance to do something."

White Sox starter Dan Wright (7-9) found himself in trouble in the third, giving up an RBI single to Corey Koskie before Cuddyer's slam put the Twins up 5-0.

It was Cuddyer's second major league home run.

Cuddyer, called up from Class AAA Edmonton last month after the Twins traded Brian Buchanan to San Diego, hit a 2-0 fastball from Wright over the left field fence, bringing the crowd of 26,270 to its feet.

"He was throwing well," Cuddyer said. "His curveball had a lot of bite to it, his fastball had a lot of zip to it. Fortunately I got into a hitter's count."

It was all the offensive support Milton needed.

Milton, who came into the game with an 11.57 ERA against the White Sox this season, had nine strikeouts through the first five innings and caught Frank Thomas swinging twice. Chicago had a chance to score in the fifth on Royce Clayton's ground-rule double and again in the seventh after Thomas advanced to second on a wild pitch with two outs. But Milton struck out Joe Crede to end the seventh.

"His ball had life," Paul Konerko said. "I like facing him because what you see is what you get. There are no tricks. He threw a lot of first-pitch strikes and that may have made some of our new hitters a bit defensive."

It was Milton's second complete game of the season, and the Twins' fourth.

"I'm glad I didn't have to face him," Cuddyer said.

Jacque Jones doubled in Luis Rivas in the eighth to make it 6-0.

Wright struck out a career-high eight batters in six innings, allowing seven hits and three walks. Konerko, who went 2-for-3, and Royce Clayton had the only hits for the White Sox.

"We didn't lay off Milton's high fastball, it made our attack look feeble," Chicago manager Jerry Manuel said.

Cuddyer's four RBIs also tied his career high.