CHICAGO (AP) -Josh Beckett won his major league-leading 16th game Friday, surviving a shaky first inning to lead the Boston Red Sox over the Chicago White Sox 11-3 in the first game of a split doubleheader.

Beckett (16-5) allowed seven hits and three runs in 5 2-3 innings, and the Red Sox grabbed control with four runs in the fourth, highlighted by Jason Varitek's bases-loaded, two-run single. Varitek also hit a two-run homer in Boston's four-run ninth against reliever Mike Myers.

Beckett walked three in the first inning, but gave up just one run in the frame. He hadn't walked more than two batters in 13 straight starts. He left after giving up back-to-back singles to Danny Richar and Andy Gonzalez in the sixth inning. Javier Lopez, just promoted from Triple-A, got Jerry Owens on a fly ball to end the threat.

Mike Lowell had three hits and drove in two runs for Boston.

Josh Fields hit his 16th homer for Chicago, which lost for the 10th time in 12 games.

Jon Garland (8-10), coming off a performance against Seattle in which he gave up 10 hits and 10 runs in 2 2-3 innings, lost his third straight start, and the 18-game winner in 2005 and 2006 hasn't won since July 27. Garland allowed nine hits and six runs in seven-plus innings.

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