Tadahito Iguchi homered and Jose Contreras threw 116 pitches over 5 2-3 innings in sweltering heat to get the win as the Chicago White Sox beat the Boston Red Sox 6-4 in a matchup of division leaders on Sunday.
With the game-time temperature at 37?C, the White Sox gained a split of the four-game series between the defending World Series champions and the team with the best record in the majors this season.
Iguchi hit a two-run shot off Bronson Arroyo (8-6), went 3-for-4 and finished with three RBIs.
"I almost didn't play Iguchi today. I thought about giving him the day off because it's so hot and he never played in weather like that," Chicago White Sox, manager Ozzie Guillen said. "Somebody told me to just let him go out there and take a chance. He did a tremendous job."
Iguchi didn't realize he almost spent the day on the bench.
"Maybe I'll get a day off tomorrow," he said through a translator.
Dustin Hermanson got his 23rd save in 24 chances.
David Ortiz and Jason Varitek homered for Boston.
Contreras (6-6) allowed eight hits and three runs against a team that has always given him trouble.
Yankees 4, Angels 1
At Anaheim, California, Mike Mussina shut down the Angels, Hideki Matsui hit a two-run homer and New York avoided a four-game sweep.
Mussina (10-5) held the Angels to one run and seven hits in 6 1-3 innings as the Yankees completed a 6-5 road trip to Boston, Texas and Los Angeles.
They return to New York on Tuesday for their first homestand since the All-Star break -- three games against Minnesota and three more against the Angels. The Yankees are 1 games behind the first-place Red Sox in the AL East and a half-game back in the wild-card race.
Mariano Rivera got five outs for his 25th save in a row. He has saved each of New York's last eight victories.
Jarrod Washburn (6-6) limited the Yankees to one hit until they got to him in the seventh.
Eric Bruntlett hit a three-run homer with two outs in the top of the 14th inning to give the Houston Astros a 4-1 victory over the Washington Nationals.
Bruntlett fouled off three straight pitches before pulling Hector Carrasco's 3-2 pitch over the left-field fence and into the Nationals bullpen to give the Astros their seventh win in eight games.
Russ Springer (3-3) pitched two innings for the victory, and Brad Lidge pitched the bottom of the 14th for his 23rd save. The Astros won three of four in the series.
The Nationals wasted a stellar starting performance by John Patterson, whose effort was matched by Astros rookie starter Wandy Rodriguez.
Bruntlett, who had entered the game in the 10th inning, connected for his second homer of the year off Carrasco (3-3) and his sixth, seventh and eighth RBIs.
Mets 6, Dodgers 0
At New York, Kris Benson pitched four-hit ball for eight innings, and Mike Piazza hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs for New York.
Carlos Beltran tripled, Cliff Floyd had an RBI double and Piazza had three hits as the Mets won for the sixth time in seven games and moved four over .500 (51-47) to match a season high. Los Angeles dropped to 7-13 in July.
Benson (7-3) didn't allow a baserunner until Cesar Izturis bunted for a single with one out in the fourth. He scattered four singles -- two didn't make it out of the infield -- and struck out five.
Brad Penny (5-6) gave up four runs and eight hits in six innings. It was the first time he has allowed more than three runs in a start since June 10.
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