Detroit ? Ty Cobb would’ve been proud.

Marcus Thames’ hard takeout slide broke up a potential, inning-ending double play in the seventh, and Chris Shelton followed with a go-ahead double to give the Detroit Tigers a 2-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday.

A sellout crowd of 41,075 at Comerica Park, which has a statue of Cobb sliding beyond the left-field wall, was on its feet as right fielder Magglio Ordonez ran down Brian Anderson’s fly ball at the warning track for the final out.

The victory gave the Tigers a season-high 5 1/2-game lead over Chicago in the AL Central.

“We gained a game, and it’s July 20. That’s all it means,” Detroit manager Jim Leyland insisted. “We’ve got Oakland coming in, and the A’s are champing at the bit.”

Detroit has the best record in baseball at 64-31 after taking two of three from the World Series champions – after losing six of their first seven meetings this season. Chicago has lost seven of nine, falling into a tie with AL East leader Boston for the second-best record in baseball.

“You go through down points in a season, and this is one of the lowest,” Chicago starter Jose Contreras said through an interpreter.

An old-fashioned play by Thames tilted the game to the Tigers.

“Marcus Thames’ good, clean, hard slide was the difference,” Leyland said.

With one out in the seventh, Craig Monroe hit a grounder to third baseman Joe Crede, who threw to second baseman Tadahito Iguchi. Thames slid cleanly, taking out Iguchi and preventing a relay.

Iguchi got up slowly and limped around the infield, but he put a hand up to let White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen know he was OK. After Thames got high-fives in Detroit’s dugout, Shelton hit a double to left-center that scored Monroe.

Twins 6, Devil Rays 4

Minnesota – Johan Santana struck out seven in six innings, and the Twins won their seventh straight game. Minnesota won for the 19th time in its last 24 games and improved to a major league-best 37-11 at home.

Red Sox 6, Rangers 4

Boston – Curt Schilling pitched seven innings to lead Boston to its fourth straight victory. Schilling (12-3) allowed four runs and a season-high 10 hits while walking one and striking out six. He allowed three runs in the second.

Blue Jays 5, Yankees 4 (11)

Toronto – Vernon Wells homered off Mariano Rivera in the 11th inning to lift the Blue Jays over the Yankees. Frank Catalanotto led off the 11th with a single to right, but was thrown out trying to steal second. Wells then hit his 24th homer and the first Rivera (4-5) has allowed all year. It was the first game-winning homer off Rivera since Bill Mueller did it for the Red Sox on July 24, 2004.