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Series Recap
·11 min read

Series Recap: Yankees settle for South Side split against White Sox

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Winning a four-game series on the road is a daunting task, even against the lowly Chicago White Sox. Yet, I’m sure the New York Yankees would tell you they should have at least taken three of four on the South Side. The series split had its share of bright spots and frustrations. There were debuts both promising and harrowing. Mostly great starts and spotty relief. Of course, the injuries continued to mount.

Oh yes and Chris Carter is back.

GAME 1

In baseball, there’s no loser point or style points. Hence, while the Yankees were thoroughly beating the White Sox before making the game too close for comfort, the outcome was a 6-5 victory nonetheless.

JORDAN RULES IN CHICAGO

Aside from yielding a Todd Frazier home run in the second inning, Jordan Montgomery was razor sharp. Given recent bullpen woes, Montgomery’s deep seven-inning outing was a breath of fresh air. Scattering five hits, the rookie hurler fanned eight ChiSox.

AUSTIN POWERS

Tyler Austin looked much more comfortable at the dish. After giving tying the contest at one with a sacrifice fly in the fourth, Austin clocked a solo shot to left off of David Holmberg in the sixth.

BANK ON CHASE

For the second time in as many games, Chase Headley recorded a three-hit performance. Headley’s three hits also equaled the rest of the Yankee lineup on the evening.

CREATE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

After a brilliant outing last Friday, Chasen Shreve was way off in the ninth. A three-run homer by Tim Anderson to right cut what was once a 6-1 New York lead to 6-4.

Aroldis Chapman would eventually close out the game but not before an RBI-double to Jose Abreu.

GAME 2

In a pitching duel between Jose Quintana and Luis Severino, neither starters deserved to lose but both deserved a better fate. Not long after both were removed, each respective bullpen imploded. Ultimately the late seesaw affair would see the White Sox come out on top in a 4-3 walk-off victory.

SOUTH SIDE SEVVY

The sparkling Severino was in full command, becoming the youngest pitcher since former ChiSox hurler Jason Bere in 1993 to record 12 K’s without yielding a walk. Going seven strong, Severino finished with a flurry by fanning the side in the seventh. His only blemish was an RBI-double by Abreu during the third inning.

A CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM

After only managing a pair of hits against Quintana, the Yankees lineup was able to exhale in the eighth. Tyler Wade (yes, 15% of the New York roster is comprised of Tyler’s) made his first major-league plate appearance against Latham, NY native Tommy Kahnle and coaxed a one-out walk.

Ensuing batter Jacoby Ellsbury reached on an infield single.

Aaron Judge followed with an RBI-single to center, as Wade booked it home to tie the game.

Then Gary Sanchez gave the club what looked to be some insurance with a booming two-run double to deep right center.

ULCERS BRUTAL ULCERS

After nearly giving up a 6-1 advantage the evening before, the New York bullpen sans Chapman would unravel again.

Domingo German entered in the eighth and allowed two free passes.

This created a perfect environment to call on Tyler Clippard. After Clippard uncorked a wild pitch and walked Melky Cabrera, he was able to strike out Abreu and got Avisail Garcia to fly out to right. Yet, Clippard would issue a bases-loaded walk to Todd Frazier. Bouncing back, Clippard retired Matt Davidson on a strikeout in what was a grueling but possibly a step in the right direction outing for the recently maligned reliever.

Even with Dellin Betances on in the ninth, the course of events wouldn’t get any easier for the boys in the road gray uniforms. With one down, Betances issued two walks and hit a batter to load the bases. Following a foul out to left by Cabrera, Abreu lined an RBI-single to left for the walk-off winner.

GAME 3

“Next baby bomber up” was the mantra and the new kids did not disappoint in the Yankees 12-3 victory. This time around the lead was truly never in doubt. Although there was one point of contention along the way.

MIGHTY MIGUEL

Miguel Andujar became the latest baby bomber to make an impact following quick jumps from Trenton and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Filling the role of designated hitter, Andujar had himself a historic debut and marked a slate of items off the checklist.

Andujar’s four-RBI marked the most by a Yankee in his major-league debut. Plus, his three hits equaled Mike Pagliarulo as the most in an MLB debut by a Yankee since 1949.

On the evening, he recorded his first hit, double, walk, RBI and a stolen base.

Unfortunately his stay would be short-lived with the team wanting him to get more work in at third base at Triple-A.

WADE WEIGHS IN

Also making an impact in his first start in left field, Wade socked an RBI-double to deep right for his first major-league hit and RBI in the sixth inning.

JUDGEMENT BOMB

Heckling from right field, buzzed above his numbers, nothing fazes this big kid. With one on in the sixth, Judge sent a missile to left for home run No. 27 on the campaign. The Yankees rookie superstar gave some side eye to the trash talkers in right as he rounded the bases. He also became the first player to record six homers of more than 115 miles per hour in a season.

I know Mickey Mantle was the “Commerce Comet,” but this is a meteoric rise or rather #AllRise by Judge.

PITCHING TO THE SCOREBOARD

By no means was it a dominant outing by Masahiro Tanaka but he and the rest of the bullpen didn’t have to be spectacular in a game which was all but over after the sixth. It was a confidence booster for Tanaka, who earned his sixth victory with six frames of two-run ball with five strikeouts.

GET DOWN GARY

Before Yankees Twitterverse could say, “Gary Cano,” Joe Girardi and Tony Pena were working with Sanchez in the dugout. During the bottom of the third, Sanchez failed to block what was called a wild pitch on a swinging third strike from Tanaka, allowing Abreu to reach first base. Plus upon grounding into a double play in the fifth, Sanchez wasn’t even in the picture. Yet, according to Girardi, Sanchez wasn’t being scolded and he’s dealing with a tweaked groin. While it’s still odd that he would be stabbing at low pitches with a backhand rather than blocking the ball, it’s understandable the team wouldn’t want him to ruin himself given the state of the Yankees lineup.

GAME 4

The series finale was drawn out and incredibly painful for the Yankees. A nearly three-hour rain delay meant a 10 p.m. central time start but at least the automatic intentional walk issued to Judge was fan friendly in the sense that folks back east in New York didn’t have to stay up too long past 2:00 a.m. to view the conclusion. New York tried to scrap away but came up short in its 4-3 loss.
Also, can we put padding on the metal electrical boxes along the outfield walls? It’s only 2017!

FOWL BALL

In the first inning of his major-league debut, Dustin Fowler chased down a foul ball in right and crashed into the wall. Fowler tried to walk but hobbled and crumpled to the ground. It was an awful sight and your heart goes out to the poor kid. The rookie outfielder had to be carted off the field and had surgery on an open rupture in his right patella tendon.

In an eerie coincidence, Fowler exited the game 112 years to the day Moonlight Graham made his major-league debut in the field but never batted.

PAGING RAUL MONDESI

After the Yankees scratched out a run on a Chicago throwing miscue in the first, they returned the favor in the second. With Rob Refsnyder patrolling right field for Fowler and two down in the second, Refsnyder botched an inning-ending fly ball of the bat of Adam Engel, allowing the White Sox to tie the contest. Shades of Enrique Wilson in right field at the old Yankee Stadium in 2002.

Chicago would take the lead on an Omar Navarez RBI-single to left.

TOE TAPPING

Though he would be thrown out attempting to stretch out a double, Ronald Torreyes knotted the game with an RBI-single to left in the fourth.

SHAKY CESSA

One wonders how many more turns Luis Cessa gets if he’s only going to give the team about the equivalent of a middle reliever. It wasn’t all his fault but he wouldn’t make it out of the fifth and left the game trailing 4-2 after yielding a two-run double to Willy Garcia in the fourth.

BULLISH BULLPEN

Although they didn’t have a lead to protect, the New York bullpen kept the game within striking distance. Shreve, Ronald Herrera, Clippard and Tyler Webb combined for 3.1 frames of one-hit scoreless relief. The one hit was a hot shot comeback drive off of Herrera. As mentioned above, Clippard appears to be locked in again, fanning the side in the seventh.

ON DECK

At 42-35 on the campaign, the Yankees head down to Houston to face the Houston Astros in a three-game series starting Friday night.

Pitching probables include Michael Pineda vs. Lance McCullers Jr., Jordan Montgomery vs. Frances Martes, Luis Severino vs. Mike Fiers.