Yankees outlast White Sox, 12-9

CHICAGO - CC Sabathia wasn't quite up to his usual August standards, but no matter. Not on a night when the Yankees' offense broke through, as it did last night in a 12-9 victory over the White Sox in front of 38,881 at U.S. Cellular Field.

The Yankees (79-50) - who remained tied with the Rays and moved 51/2 games ahead of the Red Sox - had 14 hits, including three two-run homers and a solo shot that helped Sabathia improve to 18-5. The Sox had 16 hits, including three homers.

The Yankees led 6-1, 11-5 and 12-7, but the White Sox scored two runs in the ninth against David Robertson before he could get an out and brought the tying run to the plate with two outs against Mariano Rivera. But Mark Teahen lined out to second to end the game as Rivera picked up his 26th save.

The ugliness of the game aside, manager Joe Girardi was more than happy with the victory after his team dropped two of three in Toronto and the first game here Friday. "This was a big game," he said. "This has been a trip where we've had some tough losses. CC did a nice job. He gave up a couple home run balls on some changeups, but then he settled down nicely and got us through the seventh."

Girardi later said: "You want your team to bounce back after a tough game [Friday], and our team did exactly that."

Sabathia, who came in 37-10 with a 3.08 ERA in his career in August - he already was 4-1 this month - allowed five runs and nine hits, including a pair of two-run homers, in seven innings. But he struck out nine and walked only one, and after Andruw Jones' two-run shot in the fourth cut the Yankees' lead to 6-5, Sabathia struck out seven of the next 11 hitters.

"Guys were [hitting it] all over the place," said Sabathia, who leads the majors in wins. "My changeup wasn't really doing anything. I hung it over the plate a couple of times and they took advantage . . . I just tried to battle and these guys scored enough to get the win tonight."

The Yankees got two-run homers from Nick Swisher, Marcus Thames and rookie Eduardo Nuñez, who had three hits and four RBIs. "I'm just so excited, so happy, especially in helping the team win," Nuñez said.

Thames' solo homer in the ninth gave him three RBIs, and Robinson Cano had three hits. Swisher had two hits and three RBIs and Jorge Posada had two hits and two RBIs.

White Sox lefthander John Danks (12-9) had a rough night, allowing eight runs, six hits and four walks in 41/3 innings.

After Derek Jeter led off the game with a walk, Swisher gave Sabathia a 2-0 lead with his second two-run homer in as many nights, blasting Danks' 1-and-2 pitch to left for his 24th homer. But Juan Pierre led off the bottom of the inning with a single and scored on a two-out single by Paul Konerko, who later hit his 32nd homer, a two-run shot.

After Danks struck out Posada and Austin Kearns in the second, Brett Gardner walked and Nuñez, getting most of the starts at third as Alex Rodriguez recovers from a calf injury, hit a two-run homer. That made it 4-1 and gave the 23-year-old his first big-league home run. "I didn't feel anything," he said with a wide smile in describing his thoughts while rounding the bases.

The Yankees made it 6-1 in the third when Cano hit a two-out single and Thames ripped an 0-and-2 pitch to left for his seventh homer and third in his last four games. At that point, he was 30-for-85 against lefties this year.

Sabathia is two wins away from what would be a milestone for him - a 20-victory season, something missing from an impressive career resume that includes a Cy Young Award. "I'll think about it after I win another one," said Sabathia, who was 19-8 in 2009. "I'll just keep going out and see what happens."