CHICAGO (AP) -- Mike Sirotka had finished his work and already headed to the clubhouse. For eight innings, he'd shut down the New York Yankees as the Chicago White Sox built an 8-1 lead.

With closer Keith Foulke pitching the ninth to get some needed work, Sirotka figured an easy victory was close and it was time to relax.

Not so.

	As it turned out, the White Sox needed Magglio Ordonez's two-run homer in the eighth to combat the Yankees' ninth-inning rally.

"Keith's human and he'll be back out there," Sirotka added.

Foulke hit leadoff batter Chuck Knoblauch in the ninth and it started to unravel.

Derek Jeter, Felix Jose, Bernie Williams and Shane Spencer singled and then Ricky Ledee -- who has been the subject of numerous trade rumors -- hit a three-run, pinch-hit homer to make it 8-7 and finish Foulke.

Bobby Howry struck out Jose Vizcaino to finally end the game with his fourth save. The White Sox finished with an 8-4 record against the Yankees, winning six of the final seven meetings with the defending World Series champions .

"I couldn't finish the guys off when I needed to," said Foulke, who gave up six runs in two-thirds of an inning after surrendering just nine earned runs in his previous 45 1/3.

"I had some bad pitch selection, didn't put guys away and they just kept pecking away."

Ledee, whose name has popped up in trade rumors that have him going to Detroit in a tentative deal for Juan Gonzalez, said he's just living with the distraction.

"I just don't think about it. I'm still here. I'm not a part of Detroit, I'm a part of the Yankees," Ledee said. "I will still wear my uniform and that's the way I have to face it. It's a game and there's nothing happening till they. ... I'm still here."

Chicago's Magglio Ordonez had a two-run triple in the first inning and then hit his 16th homer, a two-run shot in the eighth off Allen Watson that turned out to be crucial. In the three-game series, Ordonez was 5-for-9 with six RBI and five walks.

Sirotka (7-6), winning for the fourth time in five decisions, allowed five singles, walked none and struck out five in eight innings, retiring the final 11 batters he faced.

"There was nothing really for Mike to do going back out there," White Sox manager Jerry Manuel said. "He did what was asked of him, which was to get us to the bullpen. Foulke had a rough day, but fortunately we've got Howry and other guys who can go out and close games for us."

New York's Andy Pettitte (7-4), who is 5-2 in his last seven starts -- with both losses to the White Sox -- allowed six runs, 10 hits and four walks in 5 1/3 innings.

Ordonez's triple down the right-field line followed singles by Tony Graffanino and Frank Thomas in the first. The White Sox made it 4-0 in the third when Paul Konerko hit a two-run, bases-loaded single after the Yankees had intentionally walked Ordonez in front of him.

Spencer and Tino Martinez singled in the fifth. After Sirotka started a double play, he threw a wild pitch that allowed Spencer to score.

Konerko hit a bases-loaded fielder's choice grounder -- just beating the throw on a double play grounder -- and Jeff Abbott followed with a run-scoring single for a 6-1 lead in the sixth.

Game notes
Paul O'Neill was ejected in the fourth inning by home plate umpire Terry Craft after throwing down his bat and helmet following a strikeout. O'Neill, who'd been upset by a called second strike, went to the dugout and was ejected moments later. He raced back on the field toward Craft. Both he and manager Joe Torre argued with Craft as first base umpire Tim McClelland tried to get between Craft and O'Neill. ... Yankees 3B Scott Brosius left the game after hitting into a double play in the fifth when he hurt his right hamstring as he ran up the line. ... The announced sellout crowd of 40,817 was the sixth of the season for the White Sox at Comiskey Park. ... Graffanino got the start for Ray Durham, who had fouled a ball off his foot Saturday. Graffanino responded with three hits, a walk and a sacrifice. ... The White Sox are eight games ahead of the Indians in the AL Central. ... Foulke's ERA jumped from 1.79 to 2.93.