The Red Sox could only manage an unearned run against Bartolo Colon.

BOSTON (AP) – Bartolo Colon pitched another complete game against the Boston Red Sox.

And this time, he won.

Colon went the distance for the third

consecutive game and the eighth time this season as the Chicago White Sox beat Boston 3-1 on Saturday night to retain a share of

first place in the AL Central.

“He’s the guy right now. He’s the guy we need to take us on down the stretch,” White Sox manager Jerry Manuel said. “He’s the guy that, when we’re struggling a little bit, his turn comes around and we feel good that we’ve got a chance. And that’s a good feeling.”

Carlos Lee was 3-for-4 with a home run as Chicago gave Colon (14-12) the support he didn’t get on Sept. 2, when he two-hit the Red Sox but lost 2-1. He followed that up with a complete-game victory over the Minnesota Twins, who remained tied with Chicago after beating Cleveland 2-0 on Saturday.

“He knows he had tough luck at home last time,” said White Sox coach Rafael Santana, who translated for Colon. “After the sixth inning, his pitch count was low, it came to him that he can go all the way.”

Colon allowed just an unearned run on five hits and two walks, striking out two to snap Chicago’s three-game losing streak. With the White Sox bullpen missing closer Tom Gordon, who went home for his uncle’s funeral, and tired from seven innings of work the night before, Colon’s effort came at the perfect time.

“Every win for us right now is huge,” Lee said. “If we win, they have to worry about us.”

Tim Wakefield (10-7) allowed three runs on six hits and two walks in seven innings. He struck out eight, getting Frank Thomas and Miguel Olivo three times apiece.

Johnny Damon had three singles for the Red Sox, who led the AL wild-card race by one game over Seattle, which played later against Anaheim. The Red Sox trail the Yankees by 5 games in the AL East after New York swept Tampa Bay in a doubleheader.

Lee was the hitting star for Chicago but his game might best be remembered for his catch on Bill Mueller’s long fly ball to end the seventh inning. As Lee came down against the manual scoreboard on the Green Monster, his jersey got caught on a hook and he was stuck there until center fielder Carl Everett came over to unhook him.

“I’m hanging there. I looked at Carl and said, “Can you please come over here,”‘ Lee said. “If he doesn’t come and help, I’m still there.”

By that time, Lee had already done his damage at the plate.

He homered leading off the fourth inning to break a scoreless tie. Two outs later, Everett singled, Paul Konerko walked and Jose Valentin singled to make it 2-0.

Boston made it 2-1 in the fourth after Damon got to second when his single got past Lee in left for an error. Damon went to third on a groundout and scored on Nomar Garciaparra’s sacrifice fly.

The White Sox made it 3-1 in the seventh when Valentin walked and scored on Roberto Alomar’s sacrifice fly.

Garciaparra, who sent one deep to the warning track in center in the sixth, had another chance to drive in runs in the eighth after Damon walked and Todd Walker hit a drive in the right-center gap. The ball bounced off the top of the wall and over it, keeping Damon at third.

“For that to happen, it’s pretty disappointing,” Walker said.

Garciaparra popped up to second on a fastball clocked at 97 mph.

“He was feeling poorly all day long and before the game,” Boston manager Grady Little said. “He wasn’t at full strength tonight. Maybe that little bit of strength was what kept that ball (in the sixth) from going out of the park.”

Notes: Colon is second in the majors in complete games to Oakland’s Mark Mulder, who has nine. … Red Sox RF Trot Nixon, out with a strained calf muscle, took batting practice but not at full power. He is expected to miss several more days. … The Red Sox are 12-2 in their last 14 games against the AL Central. … Gordon is expected to join the team Tuesday in Minnesota. … Lee has nine multihit games in his last 15. … Wakefield leads the Red Sox with 185 innings. … Walker’s eighth-inning double was Boston’s 596th extra-base hit of the season, the fourth-highest total in baseball history. The 1996 Mariners hold the record with 607. … Garciaparra’s fourth-inning sacrifice fly was the 59th for the team this season, a club record. … Red Sox owner John W. Henry celebrated his birthday at the game. The team did not reveal his age.

AP-ES-09-13-03 2250EDT