NEW YORK (AP) – Robinson Cano hit a three-run homer with two outs in the 10th inning to give the New York Yankees a 5-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.

Cano hit a 2-2 pitch from Randy Williams (0-1) into New York’s bullpen in right-center, delighting what was left of a soggy crowd at Yankee Stadium. Williams retired the first two batters he faced before walking Hideki Matsui and Nick Swisher on four pitches apiece to set up Cano’s first game-ending homer.

Brian Bruney (4-0) worked a perfect 10th inning for the win. Cano was batting just .176 with two outs and runners in scoring position this season before his clutch hit.

Derek Jeter hit his second leadoff homer this week and Johnny Damon also connected for AL East-leading New York, which won the opener of the three-game set despite leaving nine runners on base.

Mark Buehrle pitched six effective innings for the White Sox but remained winless in seven starts since his perfect game against Tampa Bay on July 23. The All-Star lefty is 0-4 with a 5.77 ERA over the lackluster stretch.

Sliding Chicago has lost five of six to fall five games behind AL Central-leading Detroit, which beat Tampa Bay 6-2.

The White Sox rallied in the seventh against CC Sabathia, who tied a season high with 10 strikeouts and was in line to become the first pitcher in the majors to reach 16 wins before he tired in his last inning. Alex Rios doubled in a run and Gordon Beckham lined a two-out RBI single into right to tie it at 2.

Ramon Castro tried to score on Beckham’s hit but Nick Swisher cut him down at the plate for the final out. Third baseman Alex Rodriguez also made two nice plays in the inning, throwing Carlos Quentin out at home on Castro’s grounder and diving to his right to keep Jayson Nix’s hit in the infield.

Sabathia received a no-decision after winning his previous 11 August starts. The big left-hander still finished up this month with a 5-0 record and a 2.64 ERA.

Jeter hit a 1-2 pitch from Buehrle over the wall in left-center for his 22nd career leadoff homer and first since Sunday’s 8-4 win at Boston. It was his 17th homer this season and career No. 223, passing Don Mattingly for 10th on the club’s list.

Damon started the third with his 23rd homer, roping an 0-1 pitch over the right-field wall. He finished with two hits and is batting .440 (11 for 25) in his last seven games.

Twins 3, Rangers 2

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Rookie Brian Duensing pitched like a veteran in his third career start, striking out eight in seven innings to lead the Minnesota Twins to a 3-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Friday night.

Duensing (2-1) allowed three hits and walked one for the Twins, who have won eight of their last 10 games to creep back into contention in the AL Central.

Tommy Hunter (6-3) gave up three runs and seven hits in seven innings for the Rangers, who got an RBI-double from David Murphy in the ninth and had the tying run on second base.

But Joe Nathan got Chris Davis looking on a close call for his 33rd save to pull Minnesota within four games of first-place Detroit in the division.

Twins catcher Joe Mauer had a run-scoring single and then made a key play when he threw out Elvis Andrus trying to steal second base in the eighth.

Duensing spent almost all of the first three months at Triple-A Rochester, and was being used primarily as a long reliever after being recalled at the beginning of July. But manager Ron Gardenhire inserted him into the rotation after injuries to Kevin Slowey, Glen Perkins and Francisco Liriano.

The left-hander picked up his first career win in his last outing against Kansas City, then managed to keep the powerful Rangers at bay Friday night to keep the Twins on a roll.

Duensing walked Ian Kinsler to start the game, but retired the next 11. He didn’t allow a hit until Nelson Cruz singled with two outs in the fourth.

Both teams are in the thick of the playoff chase. The Rangers were fresh off taking two of three from the surging New York Yankees in the Bronx to put them 1½ games behind Boston in the AL wild card race when the day started.

The Twins have a steeper hill to climb to catch Detroit and get to the postseason.

They started the game Friday night with a sense of urgency, getting an RBI-single from Mauer, an RBI-triple from Jason Kubel and made it 3-0 when Michael Cuddyer bounced one off Hunter’s thigh for an infield hit.

It was a rough night in that regard for Hunter, who later took a liner to the chest off the bat of Justin Morneau. But he was able to stay in the game after both shots, showing the kind of toughness that should endear him to manager Ron Washington and the rest of his teammates as they chase their first playoff appearance since 1999.

Michael Young extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a single in the sixth inning.

Tigers 6, Rays 2

DETROIT (AP) – Brandon Inge homered and scored twice, helping the Detroit Tigers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-2 Friday night.

Rookie Rick Porcello (11-8) won for the first time since Aug. 6, allowing one run on four hits and two walks in 5 2-3 innings. Porcello has allowed one or two earned runs in five of his six August starts.

Four Detroit relievers combined to finish the six-hitter.

Matt Garza (7-9) took the loss, giving up six runs on five hits and three walks in five innings.

Detroit took a 1-0 lead on Inge’s 25th homer in the second, then took control with five runs in the fourth. With one out, Aubrey Huff and Carlos Guillen walked before Inge’s single loaded the bases.

Cardinals 3, Nationals 2

ST. LOUIS (AP) – John Smoltz showed his St. Louis Cardinals debut was no fluke Friday night, striking out six and allowing a run in six innings in his first home start.

Albert Pujols’ 41st homer leading off the bottom of the ninth made it a successful night for the rest of the team in a 3-2 victory over the Washington Nationals.

Pujols hit a 1-1 pitch from Jason Bergmann (2-4) well over the left field wall for his eighth career walkoff homer and first since July 13, 2006. The NL Central leaders have won 16 of 20.

Khalil Greene’s first career pinch-hit homer tied it at 2 in the eighth against Nationals starter John Lannan, who allowed two runs and four hits.

Jason Motte (4-4) worked around a one-out double by Elijah Dukes in the ninth.

Gerald Laird and Adam Everett hit back-to-back two-run doubles, and Curtis Granderson made it 6-0 with a third straight double.

Gregg Zaun got Tampa Bay on the board with a sixth-inning RBI single that ended Porcello’s night.

Former Tiger Gabe Kapler ended the scoring with a solo homer off Bobby Seay in the ninth.

Reds 4, Dodgers 2

CINCINNATI (AP) – Right-hander Homer Bailey gave the best performance of his career Friday night, holding the NL’s top team scoreless for eight innings, and the Cincinnati Reds held on to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 for their season-high fifth straight win.

Bailey (4-4) allowed only seven singles and had a career-high seven strikeouts while going eight innings for the first time in his career. The 23-year-old talked manager Dusty Baker into letting him pitch out of a threat in the eighth, when he retired Manny Ramirez on a fly ball and fanned Casey Blake with two runners aboard.

Nick Masset gave up a solo homer to James Loney, starting a wild ninth. Closer Francisco Cordero came on and loaded the bases with two outs, let in a run on a wild pitch and got Ramirez on a called third strike to end it.

Jonny Gomes had an RBI single and a solo homer off Chad Billingsley (12-8), who lasted five-plus innings.

Cubs 5, Mets 2

CHICAGO (AP) – Alfonso Soriano made up for several miscues in the outfield with a tie-breaking three-run homer in the eighth inning, and Chicago beat New York 5-2 on Friday.

Milton Bradley, who like Soriano has been booed by frustrated Cubs fans, led off the inning with a double, his third hit. He scored on Aramis Ramirez’s single, tying the game 2-all.

After reliever Brian Stokes (1-3) walked Jeff Baker, Soriano hit an 0-2 pitch for his 20th homer of the season and first since July 29.

Kevin Gregg (5-5) got the win for the Cubs, who have won seven of 21 since Aug. 7.

Making his first start of the season, Pat Misch allowed six hits in a career-high seven innings for the Mets, who have lost six of seven.