CHICAGO: The Chicago White Sox outslugged the visiting New York Yankees 9-6 to snap a three-game losing streak and claim the series opener between the division leaders on Monday.
The White Sox showed they could keep pace with the Bronx Bombers, bashing three late home runs to get back on track after a surprise series sweep against the Kansas City Royals.
Trailing 6-5 in the sixth, Gordon Beckham hit the first of the three decisive blasts to tie the game.
Alexei Ramirez then followed up with a two-run shot in the seventh and Adam Dunn punctuated the Chicago victory in the next with his Major League-leading 36th homer of the season.
"Every game is important. What happened in Kansas City, we have to leave in the past," Ramirez told reporters. "The race is so tight, every night is going to be important."
The win stretched Chicago's (66-55) American League Central lead to two games over Detroit, while New York's (72-50) edge in the AL East was reduced to four games.
New York came out energised against Chicago and grabbed a 3-0 lead by the second only to fall behind 5-3 in the fifth, where the White Sox tallied a five-run inning.
But the Yankees regained their advantage in the sixth where Derek Jeter homered, Mark Teixeira delivered an RBI and the visitors put up three runs. A red-hot Jeter, who had three hits on Sunday, finished four-for-five and tied Eddie Murray for 11th place on the career hits list (3,255). Teixeira returned to the lineup after missing three games with a wrist injury and had two hits and two RBIs. It was not good enough, though, against Chicago who attacked New York's pitching staff. "The bullpen struggled tonight," Yankees manager Joe Girardi told reporters.
"It hasn't been something they've done very often this year, so they'll bounce back. You know it's going to happen at times, but when it does, it kind of surprises you."
Reliever Boone Logan gave up the go-ahead two-out homer to Ramirez in the seventh and took the loss. Brett Myers pitched in the seventh for the White Sox and recorded the win. Rangers 5 Orioles 1: In Arlington, Texas, Ryan Dempster pitched eight innings, his longest outing in more than two months and his best since being traded to Texas, as the AL West-leading Rangers beat Baltimore. Dempster (7-6) retired the last 11 batters he faced. He allowed one run. David Murphy had two RBI singles for the Rangers, who opened a 10-game homestand. All nine Texas starters had a hit. Orioles starter Miguel Gonzalez (5-3), who had won his previous three decisions, gave up four runs in five innings.
Rays 5 Royals 1: In St. Petersburg, Jeremy Hellickson pitched seven innings for his first home win in three months as Tampa Bay downed Kansas City.
Hellickson (8-8) allowed one run in ending a stretch of seven consecutive home winless starts. The Rays went ahead 4-1 in the fourth on Jose Labaton's RBI single and a run-scoring double from Desmond Jennings off Will Smith (4-5).
Twins 7 Athletics 2: In Oakland, Josh Willingham drove in two runs against his former team and Joe Mauer hit a two-run single as Minnesota snapped Oakland's five-game home winning streak. Brian Duensing (3-8) struck out seven and walked one in six innings to help the Twins bounce back from a three-game weekend sweep at Seattle that began a 10-game road trip. A's starter Brandon McCarthy (6-5) surrendered three straight hits in the first, including Willingham's RBI double. McCarthy was knocked out after 3 1-3 innings, having allowed a season-high six runs.
Mariners 5 Indians 3: In Seattle, Michael Saunders hit two two-run home runs to help Seattle to its sixth straight victory, defeating Cleveland. The Mariners have won 13 of their past 14 games at Safeco Field. It's the best home stretch over 14 games in club history. Seattle's Charlie Furbush (5-2) earned the victory in relief of starter Kevin Millwood. The Indians loaded the bases in the ninth but Jason Kipnis ground into a double play to end it. Joe Smith (7-4) took the loss in relief as Cleveland suffered a sixth straight defeat.
