LOS ANGELES -- Bartolo Colon was most impressed by his low pitch count.
Colon pitched a four-hitter, and Frank Thomas and Joe Crede hit home runs as the Chicago White Sox beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1 on Saturday night.
"I pitched some games like that," said Colon, using teammate Armando Rios as a translator. "That's probably the best (pitch count) I've had in a while."
Colon threw 87 pitches, 64 for strikes, and struck out five for his fifth complete game of the season for the White Sox, who have won just two of eight games.
"It feels good," Colon said. "I pitched a complete game and we won. I'm disappointed I gave up a run, but I'll take the win."
After Brian Jordan singled to lead off the second, Colon (6-5) retired 19 straight before Adrian Beltre reached on left fielder Carlos Lee's error with two outs in the eighth.
"Colon threw the ball extremely well tonight," Dodgers manager Jim Tracy said. "We talk a lot about our (lack of) offense, but sometimes you have to tip your cap to the opposing pitcher. He was on his game tonight."
The White Sox and Dodgers are playing for the first time since Los Angeles took the 1959 World Series in six games.
The White Sox took a 2-0 lead in the third. Miguel Olivo lead off with a walk off Andy Ashby, took second on Colon's sacrifice and scored when D'Angelo Jimenez singled past diving first baseman Fred McGriff. Jimenez stole second and scored on Magglio Ordonez's single.
Ashby (0-4) allowed two runs in three innings before giving way to Wilson Alvarez, called up from Triple-A Las Vegas before the game.
"I think I may have started to get tired in the third," Ashby said. "Overall I felt good body-wise. It's still frustrating."
Ashby was making his second start of the season, first since a 9-3 loss to San Francisco on April 19. Tracy said he would monitor the right-hander and bring in Alvarez when Ashby tired.
Ashby lost his spot in the rotation during spring training, but returned with Darren Dreifort out with a season-ending knee injury.
Alvarez allowed Thomas' 12th homer in the seventh and Crede's fifth in the eighth, both with two outs. The former White Sox starter went five innings and struck out five.
The Dodgers scored in the ninth when Alex Cora led off with a double, advanced to third on Paul Lo Duca's groundout and came home on Shawn Green's sacrifice fly.
Notes: Entering Saturday's game, five of the White Sox previous six games had been decided by two runs or fewer. They were 1-5 in those games. ... Lo Duca's infield single in the first inning extended his career-best hitting streak to 16 games. ... Alvarez was 5-1 with a 1.34 ERA for Las Vegas.
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