CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Knuckleballer Steve Sparks of the Detroit Tigers cooled off the red-hot Chicago White Sox.

Sparks allowed two runs and five hits in eight innings and rookie Oscar Salazar hit his first career homer in a five-run third inning as the Tigers snapped the White Sox four-game winning streak with an 8-2 victory.

Recording his fourth solid outing of the season, Sparks (1-1) finally picked up his first victory. Entering the game with a 2.33 ERA, the righthander struck out five, walked three and improved to 3-6 lifetime against the White Sox.

"There's always a lot to smile about when you get a five-run cushion in the third inning," Sparks said. "You know, it allows me to go out there and throw a lot strikes."

Rookie Mike Rivera doubled home the first run for the Tigers in the third before Salazar launched a 2-2 pitch from Dan Wright (1-2) over the left-center field wall to make it 3-0. Craig Paquette plated Wendell Magee on a grounder to third and Paquette capped the scoring on Randall Simon's single.

Paquette was the lone Tiger who failed to record a hit, while Simon matched his career high with four hits as Detroit won for the third time in its last four games.

"The players are still postive, it just takes a couples of days to get used to the way we are going to do things from now on," Tigers manager Luis Pujols said. "When you play a club as hot as Chicago and win, it shows you something. We are just trying to play good baseball."

Carlos Lee homered for the White Sox, who were coming off a three-game sweep of first-place Cleveland.

Sparks avenged a loss to Wright and the White Sox on April 9, when he yielded four runs -- three earned -- and eight hits in six innings.

The Tigers Player of the Year in 2001, Sparks had enjoyed little luck this season. In his previous outing, the 37-year-old gave up only one earned run over six innings at Minnesota on Sunday, but was victimized by defensive errors that led to four unearned runs.

Jacob Cruz walked and stole second to ignite Detroit's outburst in the third. Rivera doubled to left-center field to drive in Cruz. Then Salazar, who recorded his first hit in his first major league start at Minnesota on April 12, also registered his first career multi-RBI game.

The rally continued when Paquette reached second on a throwing error by second baseman Ray Durham. Simon followed with a single to shallow right field, driving in Paquette. Shane Halter flied out to end the inning.

"For me, when we get a little bit of a cushion, it gives my the opportunity to mix my pitches a little bit and keep (Kenny) Lofton and Durham off base," Sparks said.

Lofton's streak of scoring a run in 14 straight games -- matching the second longest total of his career -- came to an end. The center fielder shares the American League record of 18 games (August 15-September 3, 2000) with Red Rolfe of the New York Yankees (August 8-25, 1939).

Wright was torched for his second straight start. The White Sox righthander gave up seven runs -- six earned -- and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out three and walked two.

"The pitcher really sets the tempo and rhythm of the game," White Sox manager Jerry Manuel said. "So if he comes out firing blanks for the first five or six innings ... but we didn't help him out either."

After Lee homered for Chicago in the bottom of the fifth, Detroit responded with two more in the top of the sixth. With one out Simon doubled and Halter drove him home with a single.

"Knowing that they sweept Cleveland and knowing that we played the way we played and beat them like the way we did, I think it builds the confidence of the team up," Simon said. "Tomorrow, we'll have the same intensity and confidence knowing we could win."

Mike Porzio relieved Wright and Cruz welcomed him with a single, which moved to Halter to third. Rivera knocked in Halter with a grounder to third as the Tigers opened a 7-1 cushion.