CHICAGO -- The first homestand under interim manager Grady Sizemore played out much like the rest of this forgettable 2024 White Sox season.

Four losses in five games, dropping their overall record to 29-93 and 6-32-2 in series competition. A 10-2 loss to the Yankees on Wednesday night at Guaranteed Rate Field also marked the White Sox 45th loss after leading this season, as they held a 2-1 advantage through six before the Yankees scored three in the seventh and six in the eighth.

But there was a noticeable difference, a palpable difference. Higher energy, and a crisper brand of baseball overall.

“I thought we fought in every game for the most part,” said White Sox left fielder Andrew Benintendi, who picked up his 1,000th career hit with a first-inning double. “Obviously it got a little out of hand in this game, but every other game I felt like we were in it and really gave ourselves a shot to win. So it's been fun the last four days."

“Obviously, you take out the wins and losses and I thought it was great. I thought we really competed,” first baseman Gavin Sheets said. “I’m really proud of the way we played. The energy was great, and I think [Sizemore] was really happy as well.”

Sheets homered in the second inning, ending a drought covering 162 plate appearances since he last cleared the fences on June 8. He’s 13-for-24 with five doubles and six RBIs over his past six games.

Dominic Fletcher, who Sizemore said before the game would get a chance to show his ability more regularly in right field, singled and made three great catches. Davis Martin allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings with five strikeouts, including two against Aaron Judge.

Judge got even in the eighth inning when he connected on a 3-0 sinker from Chad Kuhl for his 300th career home run. It was a three-run blast, coming after Juan Soto was walked intentionally.

Walking anyone to get to one of the American League’s Most Valuable Player favorites seems a bit odd. But Sizemore had a firm postgame answer on the topic, just as he has provided every day since taking over.

“Maybe those four homers in the last two days,” said Sizemore, referring to Soto’s three-homer night Tuesday and his first-inning home run Wednesday. “And really it’s just pick your poison. I'm not trying to get to Judge. I've got a base open.

“There is no solution or easy way out of that jam. Soto has definitely been the hotter of those two bats, even though Judge has been hot, too. Again, we were just kind of playing the situation there. We were already in trouble, and had the base open. Trying to get out of it any way we could.”

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Next up for the White Sox is a six-game trip beginning Friday in Houston -- with the Astros having won eight straight -- followed by three in San Francisco. The White Sox want to win, although their 5-32 record over the past 37 indicates that plan hasn’t come to fruition.

They need to finish 14-26 to avoid the 1962 Mets’ mark of 120 losses. But judging Sizemore by wins and losses won’t be the best way to assess his impact. The word “respect” has been frequently used in talking about Sizemore at the helm.

Respect from Sizemore showed to the White Sox charges, and then respect from the players for Sizemore, who as an accomplished player brought it to the field literally on a daily basis in his prime. But Sizemore isn’t focused on himself.

“I’m trying to get the most out of these guys,” Sizemore said. “I want them to play a certain way for the next six, seven weeks and just keep building off what we started here these last three, four games. I want them to walk away from this season, at least these last seven weeks, and just feel good about how we finished and where we’re at as a team.

“Wins are important, too. I’m not going to lie and say they’re not. Obviously, you want to win. It’s kind of like stats. If you’re sitting there focused on getting a hit every night, you’re missing the big picture. You want to have a good approach, a good at-bat. Same with the game. We want to win, but it’s how we play. It’s how it looks and it’s how we feel at the end of the game that also matters.”