• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Nady, Yankees down first-place White Sox

Sep 18, 2008 - 3:39 AM By Larry Fleisher PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

BRONX, New York (Ticker) -- There have been several disappointing performances this season for the New York Yankees, including those from Robinson Cano and Phil Hughes.

Both young players made contributions Wednesday night as the Yankees rallied for a 5-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox in the third game of a four-game series at Yankee Stadium.

It was a frustrating loss for the White Sox (84-67), who failed to move three games in front of the Minnesota Twins (82-69) in the race for first place in the American League Central Division.

"We did a good job of having great at-bats, especially early in the game off Hughes," Chicago catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. "We never seemed to get that big hit."

Johnny Damon and Alex Rodriguez both homered for the New York, which improved to 4-2 on its final homestand at the current Yankee Stadium.

Hughes made his seventh start of the season and first since suffering a cracked rib against Detroit on April 29. He allowed Jermaine Dye's RBI groundout in the third and four hits but lasted just four innings as the White Sox saw 89 pitches against him but went hitless in nine at-bats with runners in scoring position.

"I felt good," Hughes said. "It seemed like that (there were) runners in scoring position every inning. It was good to keep guys in the ballgame."

Hughes needed 33 pitches to get through the first inning and had runners at first and second after Orlando Cabrera ended an 11-pitch at-bat with a single. He had first and third with one out in the fourth when Ken Griffey Jr. walked but ended his night by retiring Alexei Ramirez and Juan Uribe.

Hughes, who the Yankees did not want to include in any possible trade for Johan Santana, remained winless but mixed in a cutter to go along with his other three pitches and encouraged manager Joe Girardi, who will give him another start next week.

"He's facing a pretty good lineup that is patient, and I thought Cabrera set the tone early," Girardi said. "But I thought he did a nice job. When he had to get outs, he got outs."

Cano's contribution was a three-hit night, his most productive game since going 4-for-5 on August 24 in Baltimore - and his ninth contest with at least three hits. It also came just three days after Girardi pulled him in the fourth inning for not going after Cliff Floyd's double.

Cano was benched for Monday's series opener but came in as a defensive replacement and made a nice play in the ninth to preserve a 4-2 win. He started Tuesday but went hitless in four at-bats.

"He's been excellent," Girardi said. "Robby's a great player. You don't expect a guy to get three hits every night, that's not going to happen. But Robby can change the complexion of a game in a lot of different ways, whether it's defensively, offensively."

The fourth-year second baseman, who is hitting .260 after two seasons above .300, was the only Yankee to hit Clayton Richard (2-5) for six innings. He had New York's only two hits off the lefthander before the Yankees staged their second seventh-inning rally of the series.

"He was doing some really funky things with the ball," Damon said. "We couldn't figure him out."

It started with a one-out four-pitch walk to Rodriguez, who moved to second on Jason Giambi's groundout to first. Following a mound visit from White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, Richard allowed an RBI single to Xavier Nady that tied it at 1-1.

"I just got behind and he a made a good swing on a good pitch," Richard said. "That changed the game."

Richard gave up Cano's third single of the night and then was lifted for Mike MacDougal, who allowed Nady to score the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.

The Yankees added three more in the eighth off Scott Linebrink. Damon hit a two-run home run and Rodriguez blasted his 35th, becoming the only player to reach that many blasts in 11 straight seasons. The third baseman has also recorded 12 seasons with at least 35 home runs, tying Babe Ruth for the most such performances in a career and surpassing Mike Schmidt and Hank Aaron.

"It's special," Rodriguez said. "Anytime you could do something that in a New York Yankees uniform, it's special."

After Hughes' night ended, New York turned in spotless relief work as four relievers combined to pitch five scoreless innings.

Phil Coke pitched two-plus scoreless frames, allowing a leadoff double to Griffey in the seventh and Brian Bruney (3-0) stranded him at third for the victory. Joba Chamberlain gave up a leadoff single to DeWayne Wise but retired Dye on a double play before Edwar Ramirez worked a perfect ninth.