Yanks rout and blank White Sox on a Saturday afternoon in the Bronx. Alex Rodrituez (2 for 5, 2RBI) solo homerun (23)(LS/Bill Menzel)

Yankee Stadium - Behind a strong performance from starter Sergio Mitre (W, 3-1, 5.65), who went 6.1 innings in which he allowed no runs and only one hit, and a 14 hit, 10 run outburst, the New York Yankees (81-48) clinched the best of three series today with a dominating 10-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox (64-66).

With a balanced offensive attack, coupled with some nifty defense, it was a complete win for the Yankees, but it almost turned into a pyrrhic victory of sorts, because Sergio Mitre, in the midst of a brilliant start, was struck in the right forearm by catcher A.J. Pierzynski's line drive in the top of the seventh inning.

Is it Pitchers getting hit by batted balls season? (Getty Images

The injury, labeled a "right forearm contusion," forced manager Joe Girardi to quickly remove Mitre from the game for precautionary reasons, and fortunately for the Yankees, x-rays conducted shortly after came out negative.

"I'm just glad that it was the forearm, and that it didn't hit me in the elbow, because that's where I had surgery," said Mitre, who missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2008 to repair tightness in his elbow. "I've been working very hard to get to where I'm at, and overall, everything has been good."

"He got some rest, which I thought would help him, and it did," Yankee manager Joe Girardi told reporters during his post-game press conference. "He was great today, but we knew that his elbow was going to get sore pretty quickly."

Toeing the rubber for the White Sox was former New York Yankee signing bust, Jose Contreras (5-13, 5.42), who barely escaped trouble in the first after Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon reached to start the game.

But after letting Contreras off the hook in the first inning, the Yankee offense wasn't nearly as merciful in the second. Nick Swisher got things started with a single up the middle, and Robinson Cano, coming off his walk-off homerun last night, hit a double to left to bring the resourceful Jerry Hairston Jr. (1 for 3, 2RBI) up with men on second and third.

Hairston cashed in on the opportunity by splitting the outfield with a two-run double to right-center to give the Yanks an early 2-0 lead.

"It started with the bottom of the order with Hairston. He has done everything we've asked of him since he's been here," said Joe Girardi of his most versatile weapon off the bench, who is 12 for 38 (.316), with 2 homers and 9 RBIs since joining wearing the pinstripes. "He's just been big for us from the day he arrived."

"When I got here, I just wanted to fit in with the guys," Jerry Hairston Jr. added. "These guys welcomed me with open arms immediately."

With the Yankees up 2-0, catcher Jose Molina, with Hairston on second, drew a walk. Up next was Derek Jeter (3 for 4, 1 run), who wasted no time in squaring up for the bunt (1-3), which moved the runners over two second and third.

Even though Girardi confirmed that Jeter "was bunting for a single," it turned out to be a huge play no less, because Johnny Damon ( 1 for 4, 2RBI) followed with a two-run double to right-center that gave the Bombers a commanding 4-0 edge.

Contreras was able to strike out Mark Teixeira swinging, but Alex Rodriguez singled in Jeter from third to increase the lead to 5-0. Then Hideki Matsui drove in the Yankees' 6th run with a double down the right field line, which proved to be enough for Chicago's manager, Ozzie Guillen, who immediate yanked Contreras out of the game.

Jose Contreras, who took another loss in what has been a nightmare of a season, ended up with a pitching line that was as gory as the Texas Chainsaw Massacre: 3.1IP, 9H, 8R (6 earned) and 2 walks.

His replacement, reliever D.J. Carrasco, inherited two runners (Matsui and Rodriguez), and was quickly greeted by Nick Swisher's RBI single to left, and Robinson Cano's RBI groundout (4-6 fielder's choice), which further padded the Bomber's lead to 8-0. Of the four runs the Yankees scored in the inning, two were unearned. The Yankees would later add two more runs to go up an even 10-0; one coming on Cano's RBI single to left in the sixth inning that scored Mark Teixeira, and the other on Alex Rodriguez's (2 for 5, 2RBI) solo homerun (23) to right off Chicago reliever Tony Peña.

Did you say pigeon droppings, or no, it is a weapon of mass destruction: a bomber (web; LS/Editor))

"We got some runs for [Mitre] early, and he just took care of rest," said Nick Swisher, who went 2 for 5 with a run driven in. "Our pitchers did a great job for us today, especially after a good win like last night's. It makes us feel good going into tomorrow."

As for Mitre's status, all signs are pointing toward a speedy recovery, and an announcement of his return date will likely take place over the next two to three days. His replacement on the mound, Chad Gaudin, 26, whom the Yankees purchased from the San Diego Padres on August 6 (at first it was a deal for a player to be named later, but the Padres wound up accepting cash instead), pitched the remaining 2.2 innings of the game without allowing a run while striking four batters.  

Chad Gaudin blanked the Sox the rest of the way (Getty Images)

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