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Abreu helps Yankees past White Sox

Jun 8, 2007 - 5:53 AM CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Bobby Abreu and the New York Yankees are beginning to round into shape.

Abreu broke open a magnificent pitching duel between Mike Mussina and Jose Contreras with a key two-run double and scored three times as the Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox, 10-3, on Thursday.

Alex Rodriguez hit his 15th career grand slam and Robinson Cano drove in two runs for New York, which has won three games in a row for just the third time in 2007. It is also the first time the Yankees had won two consecutive series this season. New York, which took three of four from Chicago, also won two of three vs. the Boston Red Sox over the weekend.

"This was a big game," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "To lose the first game of the series and win the next three is huge, especially against a good team."

"We're continuing to play well, after a good series like Boston and this one," Rodriguez said. "I think we're playing better defense and pitching better. It always comes down to pitching and defense."

Abreu, who had two hits against the White Sox, also has been hitting well lately after batting just .228 to begin the month of June. The right fielder is batting .480 (12-for-25) with nine runs scored in his last seven games. Abreu has raised his average to .257.

"I feel good right now," Abreu said. "I want to keep it going. I was hard on myself. I felt like I wasn't doing anything to help the team win (until now)."

"Bobby Abreu had a huge hit," Torre said. "He wasn't himself before, but now he is. He's seeing the ball better."

The win also allowed Torre to become the 10th manager in major league history to reach 2,000 career victories.

The White Sox have lost three straight and five of six to fall a season-high four games under .500.

"It's not easy seeing this day-in and day-out," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "We gotta get better in the bullpen. Without them, we're not going to win." With the score tied at 1-1 in the eighth, Derek Jeter received a pinch-hit walk from Contreras (4-6). One out later Jeter took second on a wild pitch and moved to third on an infield single by Melky Cabrera.

"(Jeter) makes it look easy," Johnny Damon said. "We need him in every situation. That's the type of player he is, an MVP-type player."

After Matt Thornton relieved Contreras, Abreu followed with a double off the right-center field wall, plating both runners to make it 3-1. Cano added an RBI groundout later in the frame to increase New York 's lead by three.

With the Yankees leading, 4-3, in the ninth, Rodriguez belted a grand slam off Ryan Bukvich to put the game out of reach. Cano added an RBI triple and later scored on an error to make it 10-3.

"I'm looking for a good pitch to hit, and I'm not trying to do too much (in that situation)," Rodriguez said. "Another run was big, especially on the road." Scott Proctor (1-3), the second of four Yankees relievers, pitched one inning to earn his first win of the season. Closer Mariano Rivera pitched 1 2/3 innings to record his seventh save in nine opportunities.

Contreras allowed three runs, four hits and a walk in 7 1/3 innings. The righthander, who struck out four, has lost two consecutive decisions for the first time in 2007.

"I felt good enough to go nine innings," Contreras said through an interpreter. "I'm only happy when I win, and I should've gone nine." The Yankees took a 1-0 lead in the fourth on a RBI groundout by Hideki Matsui before the White Sox tied it off Mussina in the seventh.

After Jim Thome and Paul Konerko led off the frame with back-to-back singles to put runners on first an third, A.J. Pierzynski singled to right field off reliever Mike Myers, plating Thome to even the score.

Pierzynski was later ejected from the game in the eighth inning after he struck out and slammed his bat on home plate.

"(Home plate umpire) Bob Davidson was right for throwing me out, I deserved it," Pierzynski said. "It's just frustration from the last couple of days, with the way things have been going." Mussina allowed a run and four hits in six-plus innings while striking out four. It was the third straight no-decision for the righthander, who hasn't won a game since May 9. The 38-year also kept up his streak of not being able to get out of the seventh inning this season.

"It's been good and bad, back and forth," Mussina said. "I wanted to keep pitching, but that's the way it is sometimes. I only had 79 pitches. I've got to earn it back, I guess."