CHICAGO — For the first time in more than a century, Chicago has two chances at a championship.

A big swing by Jim Thome, a strong throw from Ken Griffey Jr. and the marvelous pitching of John Danks helped the White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins, 1-0, last night to finally decide an AL Central winner.

The White Sox joined the crosstown Cubs in the postseason, the first time since 1906 that both Chicago teams made it. And just as the Cubs did when they clinched the NL Central crown, several White Sox players came back on the field after the final out and sprayed fans with champagne.

"Special. It just proves that Chicago is a great baseball city," Thome said. "We're so happy from our end that Sox fans get to enjoy this."

Next up for the South Siders, a first-round matchup with the surprising Rays. Game 1 is tomorrow at Tampa Bay, which won the AL East.

The 1906 White Sox, known as "The Hitless Wonders," beat the Cubs in the World Series. But that was the last thing on the minds of the White Sox or their fans last night.

Danks pitched eight innings of two-hit ball on short rest, Thome hit a mammoth homer and Griffey threw out a runner at the plate with a tough tag by A.J. Pierzynski as the White Sox won a 163rd-game tiebreaker.

"I was telling my wife before I left the house, 'You know if we get in, I'm going to really cherish every moment of it,' " Thome said.

Thome's long drive on a 2-2 pitch from rookie Nick Blackburn cleared two rows of shrubs in center field, traveling an estimated 461 feet 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 with Cleveland.

Griffey, who came to the White Sox in a trade with the 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.

"He did a heck of a job," Thome said. "I'm so happy for him, too."

Bobby Jenks worked a perfect ninth for his 30th save in 34 chances. After replacing Griffey in center field, Brian Anderson ended it with a diving catch of Alexi Casilla's blooper.

"You never want to put 162 games all into one game, but that's what ended up happening," Twins slugger Justin Morneau said. "It's going to hurt for a while and it's going to be a long night for sure."

Soon after it was over, Pierzynski, Danks and Nick Swisher grabbed a microphone on the field and addressed the delirious crowd.

Danks, pitching on three days' rest for the first time in his career and with just one win in his previous seven starts, held the Twins hitless through the first four innings on a 56-degree night. Cuddyer led off the fifth with a double and moved to third on Delmon Young's fly to center.

When Brendan Harris hit a fly to Griffey in shallow center, Cuddyer took off for the plate. He crashed into Pierzynski, who held on to the low, two-hop throw from Griffey while tagging Cuddyer for the out. Pierzynski then popped up and showed the ball as the crowd of 40,354 — mostly dressed in black — roared.

"That play, all I had to do was make a good throw. The credit is all A.J.," Griffey said. "I put a two-hopper in there and he was able to get it and block the plate. That's the key there. He put his body on the line for us."

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

The White Sox hosted the game because they won a coin flip earlier this month and what an advantage it was: Chicago went 8-2 against the Twins at U.S. Cellular Field this season and 1-8 at the Metrodome.

"That's a battle between friends," Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said, referring to the rivalry. "We just got the last laugh."

It was the eighth one-game playoff in major league history and the first in the AL since 1995 when Seattle beat the California Angels, 9-1, to win the AL West.