Chicago ? Back in first place, the Chicago White Sox are holding off on any celebrations.

“It’s still a very close race. We’ve still got a long way to go,” Frank Thomas said after he homered in a 7-3 win over the Texas Rangers Thursday night. “The best way to look at it is we’re still fighting for first place.”

Joe Crede also homered to back Bartolo Colon as Chicago won its fourth straight and moved one game ahead of Kansas City in the AL Central. The White Sox, a half-game ahead of Minnesota, had not led the division since Aug. 8 and had been in first place for just three days previously this season.

“It’s always a great place to be, in first place,” Crede said. “You never want to be the team that’s going out and trying to chase the team in first place, you want to be the team that everybody’s chasing.”

Colby Lewis (6-8) allowed five runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. Texas had won eight straight, its longest winning streak since June 19-25 last year.

Colon (11-11) won for the first time in three starts, allowing three runs and six hits in seven innings. He took a one-hitter into the sixth before Alex Rodriguez and Rafael Palmeiro hit consecutive homers.

Palmeiro reached 30 homers for the ninth straight year and has 520 overall. Rodriguez, who leads the AL with 37, has homered in five straight games, tying the club record set by Carl Everett from April 14-20.

“For the first time in (a while) I feel healthy, and the results are there now,” said Rodriguez, who missed part of spring training because of a neck injury.

Kelly Wunsch pitched a scoreless eighth, and Tom Gordon entered with two on and one out in the ninth, finishing for his eighth save in 13 chances.

Chicago's Joe Crede watches the flight of his run-scoring triple. Crede also homered as the White Sox turned back Texas, 7-3, Thursday night in Chicago.

Crede tied a career high with three hits, including a triple, and drove in three runs.

“We’re still on a roll,” Rodriguez said. “Teams shouldn’t take us lightly.”

During the game, the White Sox acquired reliever Scott Sullivan and cash from the Cincinnati Reds for a player to be named.

Chicago took a 2-0 lead in the first on an Magglio Ordonez’s RBI single and Jose Valentin’s bases-loaded walk.

Thomas led off the third with his 31st homer, tying Duke Snider for 35th place on the all-time list with the 407th of his career. Carlos Lee’s RBI single made it 4-0 in the fourth.

Crede, who had missed the previous three games because of a sore toe, homered leading off the sixth for a 5-2 lead.

Jason Jones had an RBI single in the seventh, but Crede hit a two-run triple in the bottom half following an error by Hank Blalock on Everett’s grounder to third.

Red Sox 14, Athletics 5

Boston — Manny Ramirez homered and drove in three runs, and David Ortiz hit a three-run shot as Boston avoided a three-game sweep and pulled within a game of Oakland in the AL wild-card race.

Pedro Martinez was scratched from his scheduled start because of a severe sore throat and fever that sent him to the hospital for tests. He was given medication and was home resting by late afternoon.

In his place, left-hander Casey Fossum (6-5) gave up five runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings for the win. He walked three and struck out two.

The Red Sox also pulled within seven games of the idle New York Yankees.

Blue Jays 7, Mariners 3

Toronto — Mark Hendrickson took a two-hit shutout into the eighth inning and Toronto beat Seattle. The AL West-leading Mariners opened a seven-game road trip by losing two of three at SkyDome. Seattle starts a four-game series at Boston tonight.

Hendrickson (8-9), who grew up in Mount Vernon, Wash., and played baseball and basketball at Washington State, allowed two runs on four hits.

The 6-foot-9 former NBA player didn’t allow a run until Randy Winn singled in the eighth and Dan Wilson chased him with a two-run homer. The soft-tossing lefty also beat the Mariners in Seattle Aug. 11.

Angels 10, Tigers 7

Detroit — Scott Spiezio hit a tiebreaking two-run double in the seventh inning as Anaheim sent Detroit to its ninth straight loss. Detroit dropped to 31-95 and is just 6-28 since the All-Star break. The Tigers matched their longest losing streak this season — they opened with nine straight loses and also dropped nine in a row from June 21-29.

The Tigers are the first team with three losing streaks of nine or more since the 1998 Florida Marlins, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The Marlins had an 11-game skid and two that reached nine.

Jeff DaVanon homered and doubled for the Angels, who stopped a three-game losing streak.

Orioles 5, Devil Rays 4 (10)

Baltimore — Tony Batista homered leading off the bottom of the 10th inning, and Baltimore hammered the Tampa Bay bullpen in a comeback victory. Baltimore trailed 4-0 in the seventh before rallying for its second straight win after an eight-game skid.

Aubrey Huff and Jared Sandberg homered for the Devil Rays, whose collapse ruined their bid to complete a second straight winning road trip for the first time in franchise history.