Paul Konerko hit a two-run, bases-loaded single in the seventh Friday as the Chicago White Sox rallied to beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-3 for their 27th win in 36 games.
"When you are scuffling, you are hopeful when you do well it's in a meaningful spot. That's all you can hope for," Konerko said. "You hope that something breaks through at one time or another."
Mark Buehrle (6-1) allowed five hits in eight innings to win his fifth straight decision and was bailed out when the White Sox came from 3-0 down. Chicago has now had a lead in all 36 of its games this season.
"Buehrle doesn't really have a pattern. He throws everything on the corners," Orioles first baseman Rafael Palmeiro said.
Dustin Hermanson pitched a perfect ninth for his eighth save in as many opportunities. Hermanson has still not allowed a run in 18 1-3 innings this season.
With the White Sox trailing 3-2, Scott Podsednik led off the seventh with a ground rule double to chase Orioles starter Rodrigo Lopez. Podsednik raced to third on Tadahito Iguchi's grounder to first that Rafael Palmeiro mishandled for an error, putting runners at the corners.
Todd Williams (3-3) walked Aaron Rowand to load the bases and Konerko delivered a broken-bat single to center on an 0-2 pitch for a 4-3 lead. Chicago pushed across another run on an RBI infield single by pinch-hitter Carl Everett.
Rangers 9, Twins 6
In Minneapolis, Chad Allen hit an RBI double off Joe Nathan in the 11th inning to lift Texas past Minnesota.
Michael Young went 2-for-6 with a homer and triple, Richard Hidalgo was 3-for-5 with a homer and a double, and Joaquin Benoit pitched 3 1-3 innings of hitless relief to help the Rangers to rally from a 6-2 deficit.
With the score tied at 6 heading into the 11th, the Rangers got three straight hits off Nathan (1-1), the last Allen's double that glanced off right fielder Jacque Jones, who lost the ball in the lights.
Francisco Cordero came on to record his AL-leading 12th save and Doug Brocail (3-0) got the victory by getting one out in the 10th.
Yankees 9, Athletics 4
In Oakland, California, Gary Sheffield hit a two-run homer and Tony Womack tripled in two runs to lead New York past Oakland for its season-best sixth straight victory.
Mike Mussina (4-2) won his third straight start, striking out a season-high nine in strong innings as the Yankees won six in a row for the first time since last season's playoffs -- just before their historic collapse in the American League championship series against the eventual World Series champion Boston Red Sox.
The 37-year-old Martinez, who had homered in five straight games, went 0-for-3 with a walk.
A's starter Rich Harden (2-3) left in the fourth inning with a strained left stomach muscle after Martinez flied out to center.
Mariners 14, Red Sox 7
In Seattle, Adrian Beltre's three-run homer, a 440-foot shot to left-center field, highlighted a three-homer night for Seattle against Boston.
Beltre had two hits and a season-high four RBIs. Randy Winn added three hits, including a three-run double in the fifth that gave Seattle a 12-6 lead. Ichiro Suzuki had three hits, including an RBI triple.
Richie Sexson and Raul Ibanez added back-to-back solo home runs for Seattle in the third inning against Jeremi Gonzalez (1-1) .
Julio Mateo (1-0) picked up the win in relief of starter Joel Pineiro. Mateo worked 3 1-3 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits. He has allowed just one earned run in 22 innings this season.
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