The Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Jose Valentin hit three home runs in the first five innings and Paul Konerko hit a grand slam and drove in a career-high six runs as the Chicago White Sox routed the Kansas City Royals 15-4 Wednesday night.

The White Sox won their third game in a row and improved to a league-best 11-2 since the All-Star break. They pulled two games behind AL Central-leading Kansas City, the closest they've been to first place since April 8.

Chicago set single-game season highs for runs, hit (19) and home runs (six).

Valentin hit a solo home run in the second inning and three-run home run in the third, both swinging left-handed off Kansas City starter Runelvys Hernandez. The switch-hitting Valentin homered right-handed to lead off the fifth against reliever Jeremy Affeldt.

It was the second three-homer game of Valentin's career, and the third time he has homered from both sides of the plate in a game.

Indians 4, Athletics 2

OAKLAND, Calif. - C.C. Sabathia pitched seven innings for his first victory in nearly four weeks, and Angel Santos hit his first major-league homer as Cleveland snapped a five-game losing streak in Oakland.

Sabathia (9-6) allowed nine hits. He was selected for the All-Star Game, but he had lost his last three starts.

Milton Bradley and Victor Martinez drove in runs as the Indians won in Oakland for the first time this season.

Twins 5, Orioles 1

MINNEAPOLIS - Brad Radke won for just the second time in 13 starts and Jacque Jones drove in three runs as Minnesota stopped a three-game losing streak.

Radke (7-9) took a four-hit shutout into the eighth and wound up allowing one run and six hits in 7 1/3 innings with five strikeouts and one walk. It was the fewest he allowed since opening day.

Rangers 9, Red Sox 2

ARLINGTON, Texas - Laynce Nix, Mark Teixeira and Hank Blalock each hit home runs, and Robert Ellis worked seven-plus innings for his first victory since June 16, 2001.

Trot Nixon homered for Boston, which had won 22 of its previous 32 games.

Devil Rays 5, Blue Jays 3

TORONTO - Jeff Liefer hit a go-ahead two-run homer after being recalled from the minors earlier in the day for Tampa Bay.

After Toronto's Cory Lidle (11-9) walked Travis Lee in the fourth, Toronto left fielder Reed Johnson robbed Damian Rolls of extra bases with a diving catch. But Liefer hit the next pitch for his first homer to give Tampa Bay a 4-3 lead.

Lidle is 1-5 in his last seven starts.