New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone viewed Monday’s 12-2 road defeat to the 91-loss Chicago White Sox as no less staggering than any other defeat for a club chasing a division title.
“Every time you lose, it’s a missed opportunity,” Boone said. “We’re playing for a lot every day, so it (stinks) to lose. It’s really good, exhilarating when you win, but either way, you turn the page.
The Yankees will look to do just that when the three-game series continues Tuesday night. New York has lost four of its past six games and fell one-half game behind the idle Baltimore Orioles for first place in the American League East as well as baseball’s best record.
Severe struggles in clutch situations doomed the Yankees, who stranded 16 runners and went 2-for-18 with men in scoring position.
Chicago out-hit New York 18-9 on Monday, establishing a season high while taking its largest lead in a game this season.
“I’m glad they’ve just been showing up, you know. Coming to play,” said Grady Sizemore, who earned his first win as interim manager since taking the role after the team fired Pedro Grifol on Thursday. “They’re playing hard. They’re battling. It was just a great team effort.”
Andrew Vaughn and Gavin Sheets collected four hits apiece, with Dominic Fletcher adding three. Sheets contributed a trio of RBI doubles.
Korey Lee and Brooks Baldwin homered for the White Sox, while Andrew Benintendi had two hits for his fourth multi-hit game of August.
“There have been times this year I’ve swung it well with the results not necessarily showing up,” Benintendi said. “There have also been times where I’m swinging at bad pitches and getting myself out. Just understanding it’s a very long year. It’s a lot of at-bats, and you’re going to go through ups and downs.
New York’s Jazz Chisholm Jr. left the game after injuring his left below when sliding home on Anthony Volpe’s RBI infield single in the fifth inning.
Chisholm is set to undergo imaging and further testing Tuesday, the Yankees said.
Rookie right-hander Jonathan Cannon (2-5, 3.91 ERA) will aim to pitch the White Sox to their first series victory since June 28-30.
After losing three straight starts in July, Cannon has scattered two runs in his past 13 innings. He’s coming off a 5-1 win at Oakland on Aug. 6, scattering one run on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
Cannon hasn’t faced the Yankees in his career.
Yankees scheduled starter Nestor Cortes (5-10, 4.42) defeated the visiting White Sox on May 17. The left-hander allowed one run and five hits in seven innings with one walk and six strikeouts to improve to 5-0 with a 2.03 ERA in five appearances vs. New York, including four starts.
Cortes has struggled lately, though, pitching to a 6.93 ERA in July. He lost 9-4 to the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday after allowing six runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.
–Field Level Media