Chicago ? Esteban Loaiza is proving his skeptics wrong.

Loaiza allowed four hits over eight innings and Paul Konerko homered as the Chicago White Sox defeated the Oakland Athletics, 5-1, Sunday.

“It’s going my way; there is nothing I can do about it,” Loaiza said. “Those doubters are probably biting their tongues right now.”

The White Sox have won 17 of their last 22 games and remain a half game behind Kansas City in the AL West.

Loaiza (15-5) was impressive, outdueling rookie Rich Harden. He retired 17 of 18 batters between the second and seventh inning before giving up a double to Scott Hatteberg.

Jose Guillen can’t figure out how Loaiza has gone from a mediocre pitcher to one of the most dominating in baseball.

“I’ve faced Loaiza before. I don’t know where he learned some of these pitches. He wasn’t that nasty before,” Guillen said after going 0-for-4.

Damaso Marte pitched the ninth to finish the four-hitter.

Loaiza’s AL-leading ERA dropped from 2.30 to 2.24. He allowed Adam Melhuse’s homer in the eighth, while striking out six in winning his fourth straight decision.

“You expect excellence when he takes the mound,” Sox manager Jerry Manuel said.

Harden (3-1) failed to go six innings for the first time in five big-league starts. In five innings, he allowed two runs on six hits and left after throwing 109 pitches. He struck out eight.

Chicago's Esteban Loaiza pitches against Oakland. The White Sox defeated the A's, 5-1, Sunday at Chicago. The Sox remained half a game behind Kansas City in the AL Central.

“I think the key of the game today was to make him work, make him throw pitches after pitches,” Roberto Alomar said.

The White Sox scored twice in the fifth. Alomar singled with two outs and Lee followed with a triple to right. Frank Thomas followed with an RBI double to left.

Konerko homered off A’s reliever John Halama in the sixth.

Twins 4, Tigers 3

Detroit — Corey Koskie and Dustan Mohr each drove in a pair of first-inning runs, helping Minnesota remain 21/2 games behind Kansas City.

The win was Minnesota’s 20th in its last 21 games against Detroit, including an 11-1 record this year. The Tigers are now 5-18 since the All-Star break and a season-worst 55 games under .500.

Kenny Rogers (9-6) allowed three runs on six hits and a walk in seven innings. He struck out seven.

Rangers 5, Blue Jays 4

Toronto — Alex Rodriguez homered for the seventh time in the past 10 games, and Texas beat Toronto. Rodriguez’s tear started a day after he indicated he was so frustrated by losing that he would consider a trade.

Todd Greene homered and Rafael Palmeiro hit an RBI triple for the Rangers, who have won eight of 11 since Rodriguez’s comment.

Texas starter Colby Lewis (5-7) won for the first time since May 27.

Mariners 8, Yankees 6

New York — John Olerud drew a bases-loaded walk from Antonio Osuna that broke an eighth-inning tie and the Mariners roughed up New York’s struggling relievers.

Bret Boone, Randy Winn and Ichiro Suzuki got the big hits after Seattle chased Roger Clemens in a five-run seventh that made it 6-4.

After the Yankees tied it against Arthur Rhodes in the bottom half, Olerud took four straight balls from Osuna (2-4) with two outs the next inning.

Clemens and Seattle’s Jamie Moyer attracted all the early attention in the majors’ first matchup of starting pitchers over 40 years old in more than a decade. The last time it happened was when Frank Tanana started for the New York Mets against Charlie Hough of the Florida Marlins July 29, 1993.

Orioles 5, Red Sox 3

Boston — Jack Cust had a two-run homer and an RBI double, and Jason Johnson pitched six strong innings as Baltimore continued to dent Boston’s playoff hopes. The Orioles took three of four from Boston and dropped the Red Sox three games behind the Yankees in the AL East.

Johnson (10-5) allowed two runs — one earned — on six hits and two walks. Jorge Julio earned his 29th save despite walking the bases loaded in the ninth. He struck out Nomar Garciaparra to end it.

Jeff Suppan (0-1) gave up five runs on six hits and two walks, striking out four in his second start since being acquired from Pittsburgh.

Indians 3, Angels 1

Cleveland — Rookie Jody Gerut drove in two runs, and C.C. Sabathia pitched out of trouble early as Cleveland defeated Anaheim.

The Angels lost for the sixth time in seven games and fell to 5-20 since the All-Star break.