SPORTSTICKER AL RECAP CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Derek Jeter started Bill Simas' collapse in the top of the ninth inning. Chad Curtis completed it in the 10th. Jeter's 11-pitch at-bat in the ninth inning was part of a four-run rally that tied the game and Curtis' one-out solo homer in the 10th provided the winning margin as the New York Yankees edged the Chicago White Sox, 8-7. "This one was a big one for us," Curtis said. "When we tied it, we did feel pretty confident we were going to win it." Bob Howry started the ninth for the White Sox and issued walks to Chad Curtis and pinch-hitter Shane Spencer. Simas (0-1) entered and gave up a sharp single to Chuck Knoblauch that loaded the bases. That brought up Jeter, who had homered in the first. Simas threw two strikes before Jeter fouled off the next three pitches. Simas then uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Curtis to score to make it 7-4. Jeter laid off two off-speed pitches to push the count full and then fouled off three more offerings before drawing ball four to re-load the bases. Left fielder Darrin Jackson made a sliding catch on a shallow fly ball hit by Paul O'Neill, but Bernie Williams followed with a two-run single to right field to make it 7-6 and advance Jeter to third. Simas was then called for a balk by plate umpire Rich Garcia, sending home Jeter with the tying run. Jeter threw his hands up in celebration after the balk, causing an already-irate Simas to start yelling at him. The two were separated without incident. "I know I heard him (Jeter) scream the word `Balk' after I broke my hands," said Simas. "After that, I heard the ump call the balk. It's unbelievable, I know what I heard and that's all. It definitely came from him." "I had no idea what happened out there," said Jeter with a wry smile. "He (Simas) said, `You made me balk.' I wasn't even looking at him. There's no explanation for this at all. How can I cause a balk by clapping my hands after the balk was already made? I don't get it, it doesn't make a difference to me." White Sox manager Jerry Manuel stood by his pitcher after the game. "Bill's explanation was that he thought he heard balk come from Jeter," said Manuel. "The umpire (Garcia) assured me that he called balk before Jeter did. Bill thought Jeter was prodding him. I don't think you can do that. The opposing player can bluff but he can't make a call like that." Simas intentionally walked Tino Martinez and got Chili Davis to hit into an inning-ending double play. In the 10th, Curtis belted a 3-1 pitch off Simas that carried over the center-field fence with the help of a strong wind. "I really wasn't swinging for the home run on the hit in the 10th," said Curtis. "But it just carried." It was Simas' first blown save in three opportunities and marked the third time in 20 games the White Sox have lost when leading after eight innings. "This is a frustrating loss for us today. We had a chance to win two of three from these guys and we blew it," said Simas. "We have to be more confident in the future to win tight situations like that." Mariano Rivera (1-1) allowed a pair of 10th-inning singles and three hits overall in two innings, but got Jackson to line out to right field to end the game. He nearly allowed a game-tying homer in the 10th when Frank Thomas' fly ball carried to the warning track in center field. The Yankees improved to 2-17 when trailing after eight innings and are 3-0 in extra innings. They have won seven straight extra-inning games since a 4-3, 17-inning loss to the Detroit Tigers on July 20. The game was delayed 49 minutes at the outset by rain and again for 52 minutes in the bottom of the sixth inning. New York staked starter David Cone to a 3-0 lead in the first. Jeter homered before Davis and Jorge Posada had RBI singles. But the White Sox countered with four in the bottom of the second. Jeff Liefer had a two-run double, Mark Johnson added an RBI groundout and Chris Singleton added a run-scoring triple to give the White Sox a 4-3 lead. The White Sox added what they thought were three insurance runs in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Thomas and two-run double by Carlos Lee. Cone allowed a season-high four runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings, raising his ERA to 2.14. Chicago starter Jaime Navarro allowed three runs and five hits in six innings.  