Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Robinson Cano and Russell Martin homered, and Ivan Nova pitched 7 2/3 solid innings, as the Yankees defeated the White Sox, 7-2, to complete a rare four-game sweep in Chicago.
Martin drove in four runs for the Yankees, who swept the White Sox in four games in Chicago for the first time since turning the trick from June 17-20, 1976 at Comiskey Park.
Jorge Posada and Curtis Granderson each drove in a run for New York, which was coming off an 18-7 victory on Wednesday.
Nova (10-4) gave up one run on six hits for New York, which has won seven in a row and 10 of 12 overall. He struck out a career-high 10 batters to go along with zero walks.
The Yankees are now tied with the Red Sox atop the AL East with a three-game set between the two slated for this weekend in Boston.
Juan Pierre drove in a run and Adam Dunn homered for the White Sox, who suffered their first four-game sweep at home since August 23-26, 2007.
Philip Humber (8-8) allowed four runs on five hits over 6 1/3 innings to suffer his four straight loss for Chicago, which dropped its sixth straight to end a 10-game homestand at 3-7.
the Yankees may have won just one of nine against the Red Sox this season, but they will be at Fenway Friday night on even ground, both atop the AL East. After Sunday night, only one will be able to make that claim.
The Bombers wrapped up a four-game sweep of the White Sox Thursday night with a 7-2 win, matching their season-high with their seventh consecutive victory to pull them into a first-place tie with the Red Sox.
"I think it's fitting," Mark Teixeira said. "We're supposed to be battling with these guys, we knew it was going to be a tough year in our division and it's proved to be that. They're a great team, we're playing well right now, so it's going to be a fun series."
BOX SCORE: YANKEES 7, WHITE SOX 2
The Yankees spent the first three days at U.S. Cellular Field feasting on White Sox pitching, outscoring Chicago 27-9. Thursday night's game was close through seven innings, but Ivan Nova had things under control the whole way, holding Chicago to one run over 7-2/3 innings to lead the Yankees to the sweep.
It appeared that Nova was headed back to Triple-A, but his performance Thursday night - he allowed six hits and walked none, striking out a career-high 10 batters - gives Joe Girardi something to think about.
"That might have been as good as we've seen him all year," Girardi said. "We don't have to rush to make a decision on what we're going to do, but eventually we'll have to."
Robinson Cano hit a solo homer to left in the second, but the White Sox tied the game in the third on Juan Pierre's sac fly. Brett Gardner led off the sixth with a double, scoring the go-ahead run on Curtis Granderson's RBI groundout.
The Yankees added a pair of insurance runs in the seventh, chasing starter Philip Humber - the former Mets prospect who was part of the Johan Santana trade - from the game after 6-1/3 innings.
Russell Martin iced the game with a three-run blast in the ninth, sending the Yankees to Boston with a share of the division lead for the first time since July 6.
"We've been chasing them for a while now, so it says a lot about this club and what we've been through, how we've overcome some things," Girardi said. "It is significant."
Over the past two years, the Yankees have reached the postseason as a division winner and as a wild-card entrant, so don't try telling them that this weekend's series against the Red Sox doesn't matter.
"The wild card would be nice to get into the playoffs, but the No. 1 goal is always to win the division," said CC Sabathia, who will start Saturday afternoon against John Lackey. "Starting on the road, throwing on the road, it was tough. It's obviously a tougher road, so we want to try to get as many home games as possible."
The Yankees have entered the playoffs as the wild card four times since it came into existence in 1995. They were eliminated in the first round three times, though they advanced to the ALCS last fall before being sent home by the Rangers.
The perks that come along with winning the AL East and capturing home-field advantage are more than enough to motivate a team that has been cruising along, wrecking nearly every team in its path in recent weeks.
"I think it's important enough to make it a big weekend, because they're no different from us," Girardi said of the Red Sox. "I'm sure they want it because clubs are built around your ballpark, that's the bottom line. If you can have a home series at your ballpark and home-field advantage, you want that."
The Yankees have not fared well against the Red Sox this season. Still, they have an opportunity to leave Beantown with sole possession of first place.
"We're not really going to change anything with who we're playing," Martin said. "They've got a tough team. The team that plays the best is going to win, so we'll see."
