NEW YORK, 16 July 2006 — Melky Cabrera drove in the go-ahead run during a three-run eighth inning rally as the New York Yankees edged Jose Contreras and the Chicago White Sox 6-5 on Friday.

New York scored three runs in the eighth to snap a 3-3 tie and survived a two-run Chicago rally in the top of the ninth to hand Contreras his first loss in almost a year.

The former Yankee pitcher had won 17 successive decisions, last losing in the regular season on Aug. 25 to Minnesota.

Randy Johnson started for the Yankees and pitched seven solid innings, allowing three runs on four hits with six strikeouts and no walks.

Kyle Farnsworth (3-4) pitched a hitless eighth inning for the win and Mariano Rivera picked up his 20th save despite allowing two runs on three hits in the ninth.

Aaron Guiel homered and had two hits for the Yankees, who had 10 hits off four Chicago pitchers. Jorge Posada also had two hits and one RBI for New York, with Alex Rodriguez contributing a pair of hits to the Yankee offense.

Cabrera’s RBI single put New York ahead for good in the eighth, Miguel Cairo added a sacrifice fly and Johnny Damon followed with a run-scoring double that gave the Yankees a final run that they needed after the White Sox rallied in the ninth.

Contreras (9-1) allowed four runs on seven hits over seven innings, striking out three and walking three.

Joe Crede hit a two-run homer in the second inning off Johnson to put Chicago 2-0 ahead, but the White Sox were held to just seven hits in the game.

Juan Uribe drove in a pair of runs for the Sox, while Paul Konerko had two hits and scored twice and Jermaine Dye also added a pair of hits.

New York moved to within 1 1/2 games of first place Boston in the AL East and the White Sox slipped three games back of Detroit in the AL Central.

In Boston, Mark Ellis homered, had three hits and drove in five runs as the Oakland Athletics hammered the Red Sox 15-3. Oakland had a season-high 16 hits, including four by Milton Bradley, who also drove in three runs and scored three times. Mark Kotsay added three hits, scored twice and drove in a pair of runs for the A’s. The A’s took a 7-0 lead after five innings off Josh Beckett and scored eight unearned runs in the eighth to complete the rout.

Barry Zito (9-6) allowed two runs on six hits over five innings, striking out three and walking four, to pick up the easy win. Beckett (11-5) allowed seven runs on eight hits over 4 1/3 innings, striking out three and walking four.

Coco Crisp had two hits and drove in a run for Boston.