Buehrle, Homers Spark White Sox

Mark Buehrle’s pitching and three home runs got the Chicago White Sox what seemed to be a comfortable six-run lead.

Then they had to squirm through a nervous ninth inning, holding on after a four-run rally, to defeat Minnesota, 8-6, Tuesday night at Chicago and take a two-game lead in the American League Central.

“I was hoping they could make the [final] out and not get another hit or they might tie the game,” Chicago’s Magglio Ordonez said. “The Twins never give up, they fight you and score runs.”

Buehrle (12-13) gave up seven hits and two runs in six innings and improved his career record against the Twins to 10-4.

“If we had lost, we’d be tied for first again and the momentum would probably go back to them,” Buehrle said. “They still lost the game. They might get a little confidence knowing they battled back, but we still won.”

Ordonez, Roberto Alomar and Carlos Lee homered. Chicago won its fifth in a row and beat the Twins for the sixth consecutive time.

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Cleveland 7, Kansas City 1 -- Jason Davis (8-10) pitched five shutout innings, and the Indians parlayed shortstop Angel Berroa’s error into a five-run sixth inning at Kansas City, Mo.

Berroa’s miscue helped send the Royals to their eighth loss in 11 games.

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Boston 9, Baltimore 2 -- Derek Lowe (15-6) gave up six hits in six innings, and David Ortiz homered and drove in four runs at Baltimore.

Lowe struck out five to win his fourth consecutive decision.

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New York 4, Detroit 2 -- Pinch-runner Drew Henson stumbled home to score the tiebreaking run on Bernie Williams’ eighth-inning single at New York.

Detroit (37-106) needs six victories in its final 19 games to avoid matching the post-1900 record of 120 losses in a season set by the 1962 New York Mets.

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Texas 5, Seattle 4 -- Mark Teixeira’s run-scoring single in the top of the 10th inning helped the Rangers end a four-game skid.

Rafael Palmeiro tied the score, 4-4, with a three-run homer in the top of the eighth.

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Tampa Bay 11, Toronto 6 -- Carl Crawford hit a three-run homer at St. Petersburg, Fla., and rookie Doug Waechter (3-0) won his third consecutive decision since being called up from triple-A Durham on Aug. 25.