Gavin Floyd keeps flirting with pitching a no-hitter.

The White Sox starter held Minnesota hitless for 8 1-3 innings on Tuesday night before giving up a double to Joe Mauer, and Chicago went on to beat the Twins 7-1.

Floyd, who held Detroit hitless for 7 1-3 innings on April 12, walked three and struck out four. The only run the Twins could muster was aided by an error on Chicago left fielder Carlos Quentin in the fourth inning.

Asked if he was destined to throw a no-hitter, Floyd said: "Who knows? It's out of your control."

A.J. Pierzynski, who caught Mark Buehrle's no-hitter and has been behind the plate for both of Floyd's flirtations, said it's rare and difficult to retire 27 men without giving up a hit.

"So many things can go wrong. He came close tonight. He had a great shot," Pierzynski said.

With the spirited crowd of 23,480 at U.S. Cellular Field cheering loudly, Brendan Harris struck out looking at a curveball to start the ninth inning. As the tension built, Mauer put an end to the suspense.

"It motivated me to keep making pitches and just attack," Floyd said of the crowd support. "Hopefully throw a no-hitter. It didn't happen today, but we got a win."

In other AL games, it was Boston 5, Detroit 0; Tampa Bay 5, Toronto 4; Cleveland 5, New York 3; Los Angeles 5, Kansas City 3; Oakland 4, Baltimore 2; and Texas 10, Seattle 1.

Floyd is a former first-round pick of the Phillies whose career never took off in Philadelphia, where he was 7-5 with a 6.96 ERA from 2004-06. He joined the White Sox along with Gio Gonzalez in a trade for Freddy Garcia in December 2006.

He was 1-5 a year ago when he made 10 starts for the White Sox while splitting time between the majors and Triple-A. But he has found his confidence and his stuff this season as the White Sox's No. 5 starter.

Floyd took his first loss of the season in his previous outing against the Twins in the Metrodome on April 29, when he gave up five hits and three runs in six innings.

He survived a shaky first Tuesday night in Chicago, walking two of the first three batters before escaping the threat.

Red Sox 5, Tigers 0

At Detroit, Tim Wakefield only allowed two hits in eight shutout innings to lift the Red Sox over the Tigers.

David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez also hit back-to-back homers on successive pitches in Boston's fifth straight win and seventh in the last eight games. Detroit, which was shut out for the fifth time this season, has lost five straight.

Wakefield's knuckler was in classic form as it befuddled the Tigers all night long. He improved his record to 3-1 with his first win since April 20, and had a season-high six strikeouts without walking a batter.

Tigers starter Nate Robertson (1-4) took the loss. He allowed four runs and 10 hits in 6 1-3 innings.

Rays 5, Blue Jays 4

At Toronto, Andy Sonnanstine won his fourth straight start, Eric Hinske homered and the Rays beat the Blue Jays to snap Toronto's five-game winning streak.

Sonnanstine (5-1) allowed four runs and 10 hits in six innings, becoming the fastest five-game winner in Tampa Bay's 11-year history. He walked one and struck out two. Dan Wheeler worked the seventh and eighth while Troy Percival pitched the ninth for his seventh save.

The Rays broke a three-game losing streak, while the Blue Jays lost for the first time since April 30 at Boston.

Hinske, a rookie of the year with Toronto in 2002, crushed an A.J. Burnett (3-3) pitch off the centerfield restaurant in the sixth for his seventh homer.

Indians 5, Yankees 3

At New York, pinch-hitter David Dellucci stunned the Yankees with a go-ahead homer off Joba Chamberlain, and the Indians rallied for a victory in the opener of a three-game series.

Dellucci's three-run shot with two outs in the eighth inning spoiled a strong start by Andy Pettitte and boosted a Cleveland offense that's been struggling mightily at the plate.

It was only the second home run allowed in 37 career innings by Chamberlain (1-2), the hard-throwing reliever who has been nearly unhittable since reaching the majors last August. Boston's Mike Lowell hit the other one on Sept. 16.

Rafael Perez (1-1) tossed two scoreless innings for the win. Jensen Lewis worked a one-hit eighth and Rafael Betancourt got three quick outs for his third save.

Angels 5, Royals 3

At Kansas City, Mo., Garret Anderson homered for the second straight game and drove in five runs to lift the Angels over the Royals.

Anderson, who had a two-run homer Monday night, slammed Brian Bannister's pitch over the right field wall for a three-run shot that tied the score. In the fifth, Anderson's RBI single made it 4-3. Then he got to Bannister (3-4) for another RBI single in the seventh.

Darren Oliver (2-1) got the victory with 1 2-3 innings of relief, getting five outs on only 15 pitches. Francisco Rodriguez, the fifth Angel pitcher, worked a perfect ninth for his 14th save in 15 chances.

Athletics 4, Orioles 2

At Oakland, Calif., Justin Duchscherer won his second straight start in his third outing since coming off the disabled list and the Athletics won their third straight.

Duchscherer (3-1) allowed two runs and four hits in seven strong innings. Alan Embree pitched a perfect eighth and Santiago Casilla finished for his first save in as many chances.

Brian Burres (3-3) took the loss.

Rangers 10, Mariners 1

At Seattle, major league RBIs leader Josh Hamilton, Michael Young and David Murphy drove in three runs each to support Sidney Ponson in the Rangers' victory over the sinking Mariners.

Seattle lost for the sixth time in seven games before the smallest crowd in Safeco Field history to move back into a last-place tie in the AL West. Mariners hitters continued their mostly punchless season with just seven harmless hits in seven innings off Ponson (2-0), who worked quickly and at times effortlessly. He struck out two and walked one.

The Rangers scored 10 runs in three innings on just six hits and seven walks. Seattle starter Miguel Batista (2-4) and Cha Seung Baek walked 10 in all.