DETROIT – Paul Konerko hit two home runs and Jon Garland pitched seven strong innings to lead the Chicago White Sox to a 7-1 victory against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night.

The Tigers still have the best record in baseball (62-31) and a 3.5-game lead ahead of Chicago in the AL Central, but they are just 1-6 against the World Series champions this season.

Chicago broke open the first of a three-game series with two runs in the sixth and three in the seventh – with Konerko homering in each inning – giving Garland more than enough run support.

Garland (9-3) allowed one run, six hits and one walk while striking out five to win his fifth straight decision.

Konerko’s solo homer in the sixth restored a two-run lead for Chicago and his three-run shot in the seventh made it 7-1. He has 23 homers this season, seven during his current 15-game hitting streak.

The White Sox had lost five of their last six in falling a season-high 4 1/2 games behind Detroit.

Nate Robertson (8-6) allowed six runs, nine hits and one walk in 6 2-3 innings to lose his third straight start.

Chicago went ahead 1-0 in the second on Joe Crede’s double that scored Jermaine Dye, who had doubled off the wall in center field.

Juan Uribe’s RBI single made it 2-0 in the fourth when Dye scored again after his second double. In the home half, Detroit’s Ivan Rodriguez led off with an infield single, but Garland struck out Magglio Ordonez and got the next two Tigers to fly out.

The Tigers pulled within a run in the fifth on Placido Polanco’s RBI single.

Konerko put Chicago ahead 3-1, leading off the sixth with a homer, and Crede hit a two-out home run to make it a three-run lead.

The White Sox chased Robertson in the seventh, then reliever Jason Grilli gave up a homer to Konerko, the first batter he faced.