The AL's division leaders do not usually lose this way - and they don't plan on getting used to it.

Strong first halves ended badly for the White Sox, Angels and Red Sox, who combined for just one win in their final series before the All-Star break.

Chicago is a major league-best 57-29, but will bring a three-game losing streak into the second half after losing 9-8 in 11 innings to Oakland on Sunday and getting swept in a three-game series for the first time this season.

"It was a really disappointing weekend, but there is nothing you can do about it," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "One of the best things we've done all year, every time we got a losing streak, we bounced back and played pretty good baseball. I expect the same thing when we come back in a couple of days."

The Angels did not seem concerned, either, despite dropping four straight to the last-place Seattle Mariners. The AL West leaders had won 13 of 16 coming in, but were outscored 33-13 in the series and have lost four in a row for the first time in nearly a year.

"We didn't do many things on the offensive side to get back into the games, and Seattle just flat-out beat us," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "There's no real way to sugarcoat it. We're a much better club than we showed this weekend.

"We've hit a little bump in the road in these four games, but I don't think it's any reason to take the whole truck apart."

In other AL games, it was: the New York Yankees 9, Cleveland 4; Texas 9, Toronto 8; Minnesota 3, Kansas City 2 in 12 innings; and Detroit 9, Tampa Bay 4.

Boston was the only one of the division leaders to win a game this weekend, but allowed its AL East rivals to pull closer after dropping three of four in Baltimore. The Red Sox are only two games ahead of the Orioles and 21/2 ahead of the Yankees after Sunday's 4-1 loss at Camden Yards.

It was a disappointing way to close a first half that saw Boston lead the division going into the All-Star break for the first time since 1995.

"I'm not happy we lost today. We're never too happy about that," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "I wish our record was a little bit better. I guess everybody does."

The Orioles are glad it isn't. After dropping 11 of 13 entering the series, they were in danger of falling well back in the race if they didn't start turning things over the weekend.

"This could have been devastating for us if we lost three out of four," Baltimore's Rafael Palmeiro said. "We would have been six or seven games out."

At Chicago, Nick Swisher hit an RBI double in the 11th for Oakland, which won the season series 7-2 and has won 13 of 16 overall. The A's also moved one game over .500 for the first time since May 1.Carl Everett and Paul Konerko homered for the White Sox. Konerko had a career-high five hits.Huston Street (3-1) blew his fourth save chance, but shut out the White Sox in the 10th and 11th. Luis Vizcaino (3-3) took the loss.

At Anaheim, Calif., Miguel Olivo and Richie Sexson hit two-run homers in a five-run fourth, giving Seattle its longest winning streak since August.The Angels' lead over second-place Texas was trimmed to five games, while the last-place Mariners are 121/2 games off the pace.Gil Meche (9-6) earned the victory, and Eddie Guardado, the fifth Seattle pitcher, worked the ninth to convert his 20th straight save opportunity.

At Baltimore, Palmeiro and Jay Gibbons hit solo home runs to back a strong pitching performance by Rodrigo Lopez (8-5), who improved to 10-4 against Boston.Palmeiro's homer off knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (8-7) was his third in three games. Palmeiro also hit a sacrifice fly, and his 1-for-3 afternoon left him two hits short of becoming the fourth player in baseball history to have 3,000 hits and 500 home runs.Trot Nixon homered for the Red Sox, and Johnny Damon beat out a ninth-inning bunt to extend his career-high hitting streak to 25 games.

At New York, Jason Giambi hit a two-run homer, and Ruben Sierra drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single to lift the Yankees to their seventh win in eight games.Randy Johnson (9-6) struggled through six unremarkable innings, but the Yankees improved to a season-high six games over .500 for the third time. Mariano Rivera earned his first two-inning save since July 11, 2003, at Toronto.

At St. Petersburg, Fla., Magglio Ordonez drove in three runs, and Dmitri Young hit a two-run homer to lead Detroit to its fifth win in six games.Ordonez had a two-run double during a three-run seventh and has 11 RBIs in nine games since his return from a hernia on July 1. Mike Maroth (7-9) allowed four runs and 10 hits in 5 1-3 innings.Jorge Cantu hit a two-run homer for the Devil Rays, who have lost 14 of 16. Tampa Bay, at 28-61, has its second-worst record at the All-Star break in eight years of existence.

At Kansas City, Mo., Nick Punto scored on third baseman Mark Teahen's fielding error with two outs in the 12th and Minnesota overcame Mike Sweeney's two home runs.J.C. Romero (2-2) pitched a perfect 11th for the victory, and Jesse Crain got three outs for his first save.

At Arlington, Texas, Mark Teixeira hit his AL-leading 25th homer, and Mark DeRosa had a two-run shot in a four-run eighth inning as the Rangers completed a three-game sweep.DeRosa was making a rare start in place of All-Star second baseman Alfonso Soriano, who was in Panama to be with his wife, who is expecting the couple's second child.