ARLINGTON (AP) – After struggling for much of the season, Jon Garland looked a little more like the 18-game winner he was in 2005.

Garland allowed two runs in 5 1-3 innings and Paul Konerko broke a tie with a three-run homer in the sixth inning to lift the White Sox to a 5-2 victory against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night.

Garland (5-3) gave up five hits and walked one to help the White Sox win for the sixth time in eight games.

“That’s the best I’ve seen him throw in a while,” manager Ozzie Guillen said. “Everything was consistent with his pitches. He got a lot of ground balls.”

In his previous start, Garland yielded six runs and nine hits in seven innings of a 6-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers.

Of Garland’s 16 outs on Tuesday, 10 came on ground balls.

“I was focused and throwing my pitches,” the right-hander said. “Fortunately I was keeping the ball down. Those first five innings, you saw the results with the ground balls. Hopefully I can take this into my next start in Cincinnati.”

Garland began the night with a road ERA of 7.83 this season and a career ERA of 6.37 against Texas, but for the second straight game, the White Sox got a strong effort from their starter.

Jose Contreras struck out a career-high 11 and improved his record to 7-0 while giving up three runs and six hits over eight innings of Chicago’s 8-3 win against Texas on Monday night.

Garland brought a 6.19 ERA into Tuesday night’s game, but the Rangers weren’t fooled.

“I don’t care what his ERA is, he’s a tough pitcher who made the All-Star team last year,” Texas’ Michael Young said. “His slider, sinker and changeup were all working. He pitched a good game.”

Bobby Jenks got three outs for his 19th save in 20 chances, giving him 12 straight scoreless outings.

Rangers starter Kameron Loe (3-6) was the victim of Konerko’s homer, giving up five runs and six hits in five-plus innings. He struck out three and walked one.

Both starters were sharp during the first five innings, with each allowing one run.

The Rangers got the game’s first run when Brad Wilkerson led off the third with a triple and scored on Rod Barajas’ ground-out.

The White Sox tied it at 1 in the fourth when Jim Thome led off with a double, went to third on Konerko’s single, and scored on Jermaine Dye’s ground-out.

Chicago went in front in the sixth when Tadahito Iguchi and Thome led off with singles and Konerko knocked Loe’s first pitch over the left field wall for his 17th homer and a 4-1 lead.

“He lifted the team,” Guillen said of Konerko. “That’s his job. With Thome and Konerko and Dye, you just hope that the guys in front of them can get on base.”