Cabrera, Ramirez Homer as White Sox Beat Yankees, 8

Saturday night’s 8-2 loss to the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field coupled with the Orioles’ victory sliced the Yankees’ advantage over the second-place Birds to five games and was the Yankees third in four games. Diego Moreno replaced Mitchell and hit Jose Abreu with a pitch before he allowed Cabrera’s three-run homer.

“Generations of White Sox fans lost one of their heroes today”, said White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf in a statement.

Abreu extended his hitting streak to 12 games with an RBI double in the first.

TANNEN MAURY/EPA One-time Yankee Melky Cabrera burns his former team by hitting a three-run HR in the 5th. They had a handful of opportunities, but were 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position, stranding seven men.

White Sox fifth. Eaton singled to center.

With Michael Pineda out with a forearm injury, the Yankees reshuffled their rotation and gave a spot start to Bryan Mitchell (0-1), who allowed four runs over four-plus innings and raised more questions about whether the Yankees have enough starting pitching.

John Danks (6-8) held the Yankees to a run and three hits in 5 2/3 innings.

“When you score runs, period, it’s better”, Ventura said.

“I fell behind a lot”, Mitchell said.

And it helps that the Sox have averaged seven runs per game and hit 15 home runs over their last 10 games. “It’s tough to pitch like that”. Shortstop Alexei Ramirez made it 2-0 by hitting a one-out solo homer in the second.The Yankees responded with a run in the top of the third after a leadoff double by catcher John Ryan Murphy and a sacrifice fly by shortstop Didi Gregorious that was almost a home run – right fielder Avisail Garcia’s leaping grab near the top of the wall in right field preserved Chicago’s lead. “You run into more trouble than not”. “He just threw 70 pitches four days ago so I thought he did a decent job for us”.

NOTES: The White Sox put OF J.B. Shuck on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring, which he injured Friday. The team recalled right-handed pitcher Scott Carroll from Class AAA Charlotte.

Yankees RHP Ivan Nova (3-3, 3.38 ERA) is scheduled to start Sunday in the series finale against RHP Jeff Samardzija (8-5, 3.82).

“He just left a changeup up to Melky”, Joe Girardi said of Moreno, who would allow four runs over three innings.

Yankees: RHP Nick Rumbelow was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and RHP Nick Goody was optioned to Triple-A before the game. Chicago manager Robin Ventura said INF/OF Leury Garcia and INF Tyler Saladino will be leaned on more without Shuck….

Pierce won 16 games for the Giants in 1962 in helping them reach the World Series.