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CHICAGO - The White Sox wasted little time warming up for their first-place showdown with the Minnesota Twins.
Jose Valentin and Miguel Olivo had two RBIs each in a five-run first Monday night as Bartolo Colon and Chicago beat the Twins 5-2 in the opener of a key four-game series.
Chicago took a one-game lead in the Central at the start of what promises to be a frenetic final three weeks. The teams play three times next week at the Metrodome.
Minnesota had its five-game winning streak snapped and also lost manager Ron Gardenhire, who was ejected in the fourth after an argument with plate umpire Gerry Davis.
Colon allowed 10 hits and made one of the game's best defensive plays, snaring Denny Hocking's line drive up the middle with runners at second and third and no outs in the seventh.
He then struck out Doug Mientkiewicz and got Matthew LeCroy to fly out to end the threat. Colon walked one and struck out four in his seventh complete game of the season.
The White Sox, responding to a loud crowd of 32,807 on a half-price ticket night, got all their first-inning runs with two outs against Kyle Lohse.
Carlos Lee doubled with one out in the first, Frank Thomas walked and after Magglio Ordonez popped out, Carl Everett hit a run-scoring single.
Paul Konerko walked to load the bases before Valentin blooped a two-run single to center to make it 3-0. Joe Crede followed with a single, and Olivo hit a sinking liner to left-center that a diving Shannon Stewart couldn't hold, turning it into a two-run double.
ORIOLES 13, RED SOX 10: Deivi Cruz drove in four and Jerry Hairston scored the tiebreaking run in the eighth as host Baltimore rallied.
The Orioles trailed 8-5 before scoring four in the seventh and four in the eighth. Baltimore took advantage of four errors to improve to 8-5 against Boston this season.
Johnny Damon hit his 100th career homer and drove in four, and Manny Ramirez and Nomar Garciaparra also homered for Boston. Catcher Jason Varitek and pitcher Derek Lowe, who wasn't in the game, were ejected in a wild seventh.
YANKEES 9, BLUE JAYS 3: Mike Mussina and Joe Torre enjoyed a quiet day at the ballpark, especially because their team won.
With 8,848 fans at Yankee Stadium for a makeup date, New York made plenty of noise with its bats.
"It was peaceful, but it was okay," Torre said. "As long as the players aren't yawning, it's all right. I don't mind."
The manager had an easy day, watching Hideki Matsui drive in three and Mike Mussina pitch seven effective innings for the East leaders.
ANGELS 3, A's 1: Garret Anderson drove home Adam Kennedy with an eighth-inning single, lifting the Anaheim Angels to a 3-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Monday night.