OAKLAND, CALIF. ? Mark Mulder needed just a little help in polishing off his latest win. So he handed the ball over to closer Octavio Dotel for the last two outs.

“I knew Mulder could finish,” Dotel said with a laugh. “But I need some work, too.”

Mulder pitched three-hit ball into the ninth inning Sunday to become the first 13-game winner in the majors, and Bobby Crosby’s two-run homer sent the Oakland Athletics to a 5-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

Mulder (13-2) won his 11th consecutive decision, outpitching Esteban Loaiza in a matchup of All-Stars. The left-hander struck out eight, walked two and hasn’t lost in 14 starts since April 28.

“It just seems everything is going right for me. The best way to describe it is getting just enough runs. On days we score a handful of runs, I don’t pitch well. When I pitch well, we win 2-1,” Mulder said.

Looking for an outfielder with some pop, the White Sox acquired switch-hitter Carl Everett from Montreal for minor-league pitchers Jon Rauch and Gary Majewski earlier in the day.

Jermaine Dye’s second double of the game drove in Eric Chavez from first base in the sixth. Two outs later, Crosby connected off Loaiza (8-5) for his 12th homer of the season. The ball glanced off the glove of center fielder Aaron Rowand and over the fence, giving Oakland a 4-3 lead.

“When my body hit the wall, it jarred my glove a little bit and hit off the back of my glove,” Rowand said. “I thought I should have caught it.”

Crosby, a shortstop who leads AL rookies in homers, struck out and grounded into a double play in his first two at-bats.

The Athletics added an insurance run in the eighth on an RBI single by Damian Miller.

Chicago's Carlos Lee, center, is called out at home by umpire Angel Hernandez after being tagged by Oakland catcher Damian Miller. The Athletics beat the White Sox, 5-3, Sunday in Oakland, Calif.

Mulder, who didn’t allow a homer in his previous five starts, gave up a two-run shot to Jose Valentin and a solo drive to Rowand in falling behind 3-1. But the winning pitcher in the All-Star game regained his composure and improved to 7-0 in 10 starts at home. He’s also 6-0 in day games.

“He’s awesome. He’s probably the best,” Crosby said.

Mulder left after 81/3 innings. Dotel struck out Magglio Ordonez and Paul Konerko for his fifth save in seven chances with the A’s.

Loaiza gave up four runs and seven hits in seven innings for the White Sox, who dropped to 2-16 in Oakland since 2001.

“They have to move the A’s anyplace,” Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said. “Move this team out of here.”

Tigers 4, Yankees 2

Detroit — Detroit surpassed its 2003 wins total with 21/2 months left in the season, beating New York behind the pitching of Nate Robertson and the hitting of Carlos Pena. Detroit, which split the four-game series against the defending AL champions, improved to 44-47. Last year, the Tigers set an AL record for losses by going 43-119. The Tigers won the season series from New York 4-3. The Tigers easily set a record for fewest games needed to surpass their wins total from the previous year, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The previous mark of 106 was set by the 1962 Philadelphia Phillies (48-58 after going 47-107) and the 1989 Baltimore Orioles (55-51 following a 54-107 season). Before a sellout crowd of 40,132, Robertson (9-4) allowed two runs and six hits in eight innings. Ugueth Urbina finished for his 15th save in 17 chances.

Red Sox 6, Angels 2

Anaheim, Calif. — Curt Schilling won his fourth straight decision, David Ortiz homered and drove in four runs, and Boston beat Anaheim for a split of their four-game series. Schilling (12-4) allowed one run and three hits in eight innings. He struck out seven and walked none, retiring 17 of his last 19 batters.

Devil Rays 7, Orioles 2

St. Petersburg, Fla. — Mark Hendrickson pitched a four-hitter for his second career complete game, Carl Crawford hit a two-run triple during a five-run sixth inning, and Tampa Bay beat Baltimore. Hendrickson (7-7) struck out six and walked one in Tampa Bay’s first complete game since Victor Zambrano beat Oakland, 11-2, Sept. 7, 2003. The former NBA player retired his first 12 batters before Javy Lopez opened the fifth with a ground-rule double to right.

Mariners 7, Indians 5

Seattle — Randy Winn hit a tiebreaking, two-run double off Bob Howry with two outs in the eighth inning to lead Seattle over Cleveland. Victor Martinez tied the game at 5 in the top of the eighth with his first career pinch-hit homer. Shigetoshi Hasegawa (3-3) got the win despite giving up Martinez’s 16th home run of the season. Eddie Guardado pitched the ninth for his 17th save in 22 opportunities.

Rangers 7, Blue Jays 5

Arlington, Texas — Mark Teixeira’s grand slam keyed a six-run eighth inning, and Texas handed Toronto its sixth straight loss. Toronto took a 5-1 lead into the eighth behind Miguel Batista, who allowed only two hits over the first seven innings — Brad Fullmer’s single in the fourth and two-out homer in the seventh. But Texas rallied in the eighth for its fourth consecutive win.