White Sox drop another nail-biter vs. Yanks
CHICAGO -- In a season full of exciting moments, where the White Sox have built a 10-game lead in the American League Central over the Indians, Sunday’s 5-3 loss to the Yankees before 37,696 at Guaranteed Rate Field probably would not be included on that particular highlight reel.
At least, not most of the first eight innings.
But as has been the case for this team since pretty much the start of the 2021 campaign, the White Sox (68-50) fought until the very last out. The Yankees (65-52) turned a 3-1 advantage into a 5-1 lead via Luke Voit’s two-run home run in the ninth off Matt Foster, but the White Sox refused to move on to Monday night’s series opener against Oakland without one final battle.
“I feel like we are always in the game even when we are down three or four runs,” said White Sox starting pitcher Lucas Giolito, who fell to 9-9 overall. “It’s like we can mount a good comeback in one inning. We just fell short here the last couple of days.”
Yoán Moncada drew a walk from Lucas Luetge to open the ninth, marking the third straight inning in which the White Sox received a leadoff free pass. Luis Robert followed with a first-pitch single, and after a Jake Lamb popout, Zack Collins delivered a run-scoring double off Aaron Judge’s glove at the right-field wall.
Tim Anderson’s slow roller to first turned into an infield single, cutting the lead to two runs when Anderson beat new reliever Wandy Peralta to first base. But César Hernández hit the next pitch for a game-finishing double play, held up by replay review.
It was not the most memorable game for Hernández, who committed three errors and hit into two double plays as part of an 0-for-4 effort.
The White Sox lost for a fourth time in their last five games, with that one victory coming Thursday at the Field of Dreams Game via Anderson’s walk-off home run into the corn.
“We're going to give it our best. The thing is, our fight to make your best better,” said White Sox manager Tony La Russa, who was ejected for the 90th time in his career during the loss. “At least four times, maybe five times, we had the leadoff guy on and we couldn't muster something. It wasn't the best game we've played, but it's as hard as we've played."
Giolito admitted to finding his rhythm later in his abbreviated outing, topping out at 94.8 mph, per Statcast. For openers, Giolito threw 33 pitches in the first inning.
He walked Brett Gardner and Aaron Judge in back-to-back plate appearances and then went 3-2 on Joey Gallo, but he struck out the left-handed-hitting slugger and managed to escape unscathed. In three at-bats against Gardner alone, Giolito threw 23 total pitches.
Gardner’s first-inning at-bat lasted 12 pitches, with the veteran fouling off six after getting two strikes.
“To throw 25-plus pitches to one guy three times through, it’s going to be tough to navigate through and get through six, seven innings,” Giolito said. “I thought I was making pretty good pitches, but he kept fouling them off. I just need to sequence it up and find a way to get some early contact.
“My stuff felt good, but I just threw way too many pitches early and I only went four innings. So I can’t let that happen. I have to be more efficient.”
In those four innings, covering 101 pitches, Giolito struck out eight. Rougned Odor connected for a two-run homer off Giolito during a three-run second, which marked the only runs scored off the right-hander.
“I’m just thinking back to the homer I gave up; I could have sequenced that better,” Giolito said. “It could have been a much different baseball game.”
Andrew Vaughn’s solo homer in the sixth was the only damage the White Sox did against Nestor Cortes Jr., who fanned seven over six innings.
The White Sox also passed on challenging two close plays, involving Hernández’s bunt attempt as the second hitter in the first inning and Anderson’s inning-ending double play in the sixth, where Voit looked like he was off the base at first as he stretched for a high throw.
La Russa deferred to full trust in his replay point man, adding one play looked like a tie and one looked like an out from what he was told. He also pointed to other deciding factors as his team dropped to 1-5 against the Yankees.
“One play here or one play there, one at-bat -- you play nine innings, it all comes together,” La Russa said. “We had a heck of a lot more opportunities to make plays, get hits, make pitches than one replay. I’ll take a look at it. I am curious.”
Senior Reporter Scott Merkin has covered the White Sox for MLB.com since 2003.