CHICAGO -- Nick Markakis preserved the lead on defence and then enlarged it at the plate. Rashad McCants Jersey . The right fielder hit a two-run homer after preventing one with a leaping catch, sending the Baltimore Orioles to an 8-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Monday night. While offence usually is the focus, Markakis didnt hesitate when asked which moment felt better. "Robbing a two-run homer," he said, "especially in that situation." Nelson Cruz and J.J. Hardy each added a solo shot as the Orioles upped their AL East lead to 7 1/2 games over the idle New York Yankees. Cruz hit his 32nd homer, passing White Sox rookie Jose Abreu for the American League lead. Cruz is tied with Giancarlo Stanton of the Miami Marlins for most in the majors. Markakis was 3 for 5 with two RBIs and two runs, but everyone in the Baltimore locker room was talking about his clutch catch. "That was big," manager Buck Showalter said. "The score wont look like it, but obviously it was a big play." The Orioles entered the bottom of the seventh with a 3-0 lead after starter Bud Norris (11-7) retired 17 of his first 18 batters. But he quickly found himself in trouble in the seventh after hitting Alejandro De Aza with a pitch and giving up a double to Alexei Ramirez that put runners on second and third with the heart of the Chicago lineup coming up. Abreu flied out to shallow centre and Adam Dunn struck out. It appeared Norris might escape with his shutout intact, but Avisail Garcias two-run single made it 3-2. Conor Gillaspie followed with a drive to deep right field, where Markakis raced back to the fence and made a leaping grab. "I thought I had a shot at it all the way," he said. "I was going after it. I was doing everything I can to catch it, with the situation of the game and the way Bud was pitching. "It helped us out tremendously and kind of took the wind out of their sails a little bit." The Orioles then broke it open with a five-run eighth. Jonathan Schoop doubled in three runs and Markakis hit a two-run homer to cap the rally. Chicago ace Chris Sale (10-3) took the loss, yielding three runs and eight hits in six innings. He has dropped two straight decisions. The Orioles are the only AL team he hasnt beaten in his career. "We were a great outfielder away from potentially winning that game," Sale said. TRAINERS ROOM Orioles: 3B Manny Machado will miss at least another week with a sprained right knee he sustained while taking a swing last Monday. Theres no timetable for his return. Machado didnt play this season until May 1 because of surgery on his left knee in the off-season. White Sox: CF Adam Eaton (strained right oblique) continues to make progress and the hope is hell be ready to return when hes eligible to be activated from the 15-day disabled list Sunday. Eaton, though, is likely to go to the minors for a rehab stint before then. UP NEXT In the second game of the series Tuesday night, Orioles RHP Chris Tillman (9-5, 3.68 ERA) faces LHP Jose Quintana (6-9, 3.14). ALL DUNN? Adam Dunns four-year, $40 million contract is up at the end of this season and the White Sox slugger hinted Monday there is a possibility he could retire. Dunn, who turns 35 in November, has 459 homers and could move way up the career list by sticking around a few more years (hes just three from tying Jose Canseco for 34th place). But he said numbers, even the possibility of hitting 500 homers, wont be a determining factor. "Its going to be a decision where Im going to sit down with the people who are important to me and make a quick decision," Dunn said. "Whether its tomorrow (or) whether its February, I dont know." WAITING GAME RHP Miguel Gonzalez, sent to the minors Aug. 9, is expected to be back with the Orioles this weekend to start against the Cubs. Gonzalez threw a simulated game in the minors Monday -- Double-A Bowie had the day off -- to prepare for the potential assignment. Wholesale Timberwolves Jerseys . Ramon, 30, played in a career-high 97 games with the Goldeyes in 2013. He also matched a career-high eight home runs and posted 52 RBI. Terrell Brandon Jersey . Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, Fiorentina levelled on aggregate in the 14th minute when Joaquin Sanchez Rodriguez headed back a long ball from David Pizarro and Pasqual smashed home an angled volley. https://www.cheaptimberwolves.com/920j-jordan-mclaughlin-jersey-timberwolves.html .com) - American Madison Keys grabbed a first- round victory on Sunday in a rainy start to the Apia International Sydney tournament.ST. LOUIS -- Edinson Volquez tossed a complete game six-hitter to win his fourth straight start and the Pittsburgh Pirates downed the St. Louis Cardinals 9-1 on Thursday night. Neil Walker, Josh Harrison, Russell Martin and Andrew McCutchen all drove in two runs for Pittsburgh, which avoided being swept in the four-game series. Volquez (8-6) has a 0.90 ERA in winning four consecutive starts for the first time in his career. He struck out five and walked two. Shelby Miller (7-8) allowed four runs in five innings. He walked four and struck out one. Walker extended his hitting streak to a season-high 12 games with a two-run double in the fifth that extended the Pirates lead to 4-1. McCutchen started the three-run uprising with a run-scoring single that broke a 1-all tie. McCutchen drove in a run in the sixth with a sacrifice fly. Harrison added a two-run double in the inning that made it 6-1. Martin homered off Jason Motte in the ninth. Martin drove in his 5000th career run in the first inning. Stephon Marbury Jersey. The Cardinals were playing without All-Star catcher Yadier Molina, who tore a ligament in his right thumb in Wednesdays 5-2 win. Molina will undergo surgery on Friday and is expected to miss 8 to 12 weeks. St. Louis tied it in the third on a sacrifice fly by Matt Carpenter. Kolten Wong began the inning with a single. NOTES: St. Louis OF Allen Craig, mired in an 0-for-13 skid did not play Thursday. ...The Cardinals open a three-game series in Milwaukee on Friday. Joe Kelly (1-1, 0.59) will face Yovani Gallardo (5-5, 3.45) in the first game. Kelly is making his first appearance since straining his left hamstring on April 16. ... Pittsburgh will travel to Cincinnati for a three-game series beginning Friday. LHP Jeff Locke (2-1, 3.08) will face Mat Latos (2-1, 2.41) in the opener. ... St. Louis C Tony Cruz, who is replacing Molina, allowed a passed ball in the sixth that brought in a run. ' ' '