Game 21: Yankees win 9-5

The biggest hit of the year came off the bat of Bobby Abreu during the seventh inning of Tuesday night's 9-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

Down 3-2 with two outs in the inning, the Yankees' right fielder hit an opposite-field grand slam to give the Yankees a three-run lead off Octavio Dotel. Not only was it a clutch hit, it was a clutch hit with two outs and the bases loaded - something that has been rare to Yankeeland this season.

The Yankees had jumped to an early 2-0 lead - including a Jason Giambi solo home run in the second inning - but starter Chien-Ming Wang did not have his best stuff and allowed two runs to score in the bottom half of the second.

In six innings, Wang (4-0) allowed 10 hits and three earned runs.

Jose Contreras (1-2) got the loss. He gave up seven hits and four earned runs in 6 1-3 innings of work.

The game remained knotted at two until the bottom of the fifth inning, when Paul Konerko hit a one-out RBI double.

After Abreu's grand slam, the White Sox were able to tap into the Yankees' bullpen. Lefty specialist Billy Traber walked Jim Thome to lead off the inning. Traber was then removed for Brian Bruney who loaded the bases while only recording one out. Joba Chamberlain came in next and got a strikeout before allowing a bases-loaded walk to cut the Yankees' lead to 6-4.

Chamberlain also pitched the eighth inning. In 1 2-3 innings pitched tonight, he gave up one hit and one walk while striking out one batter. He also threw 24 pitches.

Johnny Damon provided insurance in the top of the eighth with a three-run home run. This was his third hit of the game, as he went 3-5 with those three RBI. He also hit his fifth double of the season.

Kyle Farnsworth did his best to make things interesting in the bottom of the ninth. He allowed a solo home run to A.J. Pierzynski and also walked a batter, but that was the extent of the damage.

The Yankees improve to 11-10 with the victory, while the White Sox fall to 11-8. Mike Mussina will face ex-Yankee Javier Vazquez tomorrow night.

(AP Photo/Brian Kersey)