CHICAGO - Mark Buehrle is starting to resemble the pitcher who won 35 games in his first two full seasons in the major leagues.
Buehrle, a 19-game winner last season, gave up one run and eight hits in eight-plus innings Tuesday night in a 6-1 White Sox win over Minnesota. He has won four straight after a 2-10 start.
"I'm winning, finally," Buehrle said. "I'm attacking the strike zone, my sinker's working a lot better for me. But overall it's just going out there and throwing a lot of strikes and getting ahead in the count so I can throw my pitch in any count."
Buehrle gave up a homer to Matthew LeCroy to lead off the ninth. Tom Gordon got the final three outs.
The White Sox, who acquired Roberto Alomar and Carl Everett in trades Tuesday, have won five of six and eight of 11. Alomar is expected to join the team and play today against the Twins.
Chicago has taken four of five from division rival Minnesota during its recent string of improved play, moving within three games of first-place Kansas City in the Central. The Twins dropped a half-game behind the Royals.
"We seem to be on a pretty good roll right now," Chicago manager Jerry Manuel said. "We've won a few series starting with the Cubs series. That was big for us. It's been a good stretch of games for us."
The recent run has been against the Twins and the crosstown rival Cubs.
"Everybody's just playing loose and going out there and doing their job," Buehrle said.
Frank Thomas homered and drove in three to help Buehrle earn the win.
Brad Radke gave up five runs and eight hits in 52/3 innings to lose his fifth straight decision.
"We got behind early again. It's an uphill battle from there," Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said. "It makes it tough facing a guy like Buehrle that's throwing the ball very well."
ROYALS 6, INDIANS 3: Jose Lima delivered another strong start and Joe Randa drove in a season-high four for host Kansas City.
Lima gave up five hits in seven innings. The right-hander, who signed a minor-league contract June 11 after starting the season with the independent Newark Bears, won his third straight start; he had not done that since 1999 when he was an All-Star and a 21-game winner for Houston.
His ERA, which was 7.77 in 20 games for Detroit last season, fell to 3.20 in four starts with the Royals.
Lima gave up a leadoff triple to Coco Crisp, who scored on Matt Lawton's infield grounder. Lima then allowed only one single until Lawton hit a towering 425-foot home run with two outs in the sixth.
ORIOLES 7, YANKEES 3: Rodrigo Lopez allowed one run in 62/3 innings and host Baltimore battered Mike Mussina, ending New York's eight-game winning streak.
Melvin Mora homered and Tony Batista and B.J. Surhoff each drove in two for the Orioles, who snapped a five-game losing streak.
Lopez scattered 12 hits, walked none and struck out six as Baltimore halted a nine-game losing streak to the Yankees.
TIGERS 5, BLUE JAYS 0: Matt Roney allowed one infield hit in seven innings to earn his first career win for host Detroit.
Roney allowed his hit with two outs in the second, when Orlando Hudson hit a hard one-hopper that deflected off second baseman Shane Halter's glove for a single. Roney retired the next 16 before being lifted for Fernando Rodney.
ANGELS 7, RANGERS 5: Bengie Molina hit a three-run homer, Troy Glaus also homered and Jarrod Washburn snapped a personal four-game losing streak for host Anaheim.
