Yankees vs. White Sox weekend series game summaries

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You can see the recap of the first game in the series here: Stanton homers twice as Yankees beat White Sox 15-7

Stanton, Judge homer again as Yankees beat White Sox 10-4

By ANDREW SELIGMAN | AP Sports Writer
Friday, May 13, 2022

CHICAGO (AP) — Aaron Judge remembers watching Giancarlo Stanton from a distance during his 2017 NL MVP season.

“It was special,” he said.

The tear Stanton is on now has a familiar feel.

Stanton homered in his third consecutive game, Judge went deep for the second time in two nights and the New York Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox 10-4 on Friday.

“I think about the second half of ’17 for him and how I’d turn on MLB Network,” Judge said. “Every other day it felt like he was getting a homer, two-run homer, three-run homer, 2 for 3, two walks. You couldn’t throw him anything.”

It's been that way lately, too.

Stanton set the Yankees on course for their 19th win in 22 games when he smacked a two-run drive in the first inning against Vince Velasquez (2-3). He did that after hitting two homers and driving in a career-high six runs in Thursday’s 15-7 win.

Judge made it 6-0 with a solo shot in the fourth — his major league-leading 12th home run.

Josh Donaldson also homered in his second straight game and drove in three runs, and Joey Gallo went deep, too.

Gerrit Cole (3-0) lasted 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs and six hits. The right-hander struck out nine and walked one, helping New York improve to a major league-best 24-8.

The White Sox lost for the third time in four games. The reigning AL Central champions have been outscored 41-21 in that span by Cleveland and New York.

“We got torched,” manager Tony La Russa said. “It was almost always we missed our location. You would see the catcher setting up the pitcher in a different place, and missing. That’s what a hitter is supposed to do. They punished it.”

Gavin Sheets homered for Chicago, and Luis Robert had two hits and scored twice. Velasquez got tagged for seven runs and eight hits in five innings.

GOING DEEP

After setting season highs with 15 runs and 15 hits, the relentless Yankees grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first on a drive by Stanton that just cleared the center-field wall. The home run was his fourth in three games and 10th this season.

WORDS EXCHANGED

Things got heated in the bottom half when, with the bases loaded, catcher Jose Trevino tried to pick Tim Anderson off third after Sheets struck out.

Donaldson appeared to knee and push the diving runner while applying the tag. Anderson responded with a push, and the two had words, leading to both teams' benches and bullpens emptying. The umpires quickly restored order, and Cole struck out AJ Pollock to end that threat.

Donaldson called it a “baseball play” while acknowledging he “leaned on him a little bit.”

“Not intentionally,” he added. “I just want to go make the tag. Obviously, he didn't like that. Two guys competing, trying to make a play happen right there.”

Donaldson also got into a spat with the White Sox last season when he was with the Twins. The slugger appeared to yell “Not sticky anymore” after hitting a homer against White Sox ace Lucas Giolito during a game in Chicago.

Donaldson had been outspoken when it came to pitchers using sticky substances, something MLB starting cracking down on in 2021.

New York scored three more in the second, capped by Donaldson's RBI double.

ROSTER MOVE

The Yankees recalled right-hander Clarke Schmidt from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before the game.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Yankees: C Ben Rortvedt (right oblique) will likely have an MRI after a knee problem put his rehab on pause, manager Aaron Boone said. Acquired from Minnesota along with Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa in March as part of the deal that sent Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela to the Twins, Rortvedt has played in just two minor-league games this season.

White Sox: Chicago placed Giolito on the COVID-19 injured list. Giolito began experiencing mild symptoms Wednesday, and the White Sox hope to have him pitch during their series at Kansas City next week. ... OF Andrew Vaughn was activated following a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte after being sidelined because of a bruised right hand.

UP NEXT

LHP Jordan Montgomery (0-1, 2.90 ERA) looks to keep his string of solid outings going for New York, while LHP Dallas Keuchel (2-3, 6.86) eyes his second straight win.

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Robert RBI hit in 9th, Chisox end Yanks' 5-game win string

By SARAH TROTTO | Associated Press
Saturday, May 14, 2022

CHICAGO (AP) — Luis Robert singled off Aroldis Chapman to drive home the winning run in the ninth inning and the Chicago White Sox edged the Yankees 3-2 Saturday night, stopping New York’s five-game winning streak.

The Yankees, with the best record in the majors, had slugged away for a total of 25 runs in taking the first two games of the series. They rallied for the tying run in the ninth inning, but a baserunning mistake cost them a chance to score more.

“The first two games, they were just better than us,” Robert said through an interpreter. “But today we came prepared and were able to execute and then we got on top.”

With one out in the Chicago ninth, Tim Anderson singled and Yoán Moncada walked against Chapman (0-1). Robert followed with his big hit to right, setting off a lively celebration on the field.

“Losing Moncada, that’s the one he didn’t want to do that, but he was aggressive with his stuff,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said about Chapman.

Moncada homered and Dallas Keuchel threw five shutout innings for the White Sox, who have won eight of 11.

New York had won 19 of 22.

Anderson finished with three hits and Moncada and Robert added two apiece for the White Sox, who improved to just 2-9 against the Yankees since June 15, 2019.

“We’ve still got a long season,” Anderson said. “Everybody just continue to keep working and keep trying to get healthy, and hopefully we’ll get to where we’re trying to go.

The Yankees scored a run in each of the last two innings.

New York ended the shutout on three consecutive singles off Joe Kelly in the eighth. Giancarlo Stanton’s one-out single cut the lead to 2-1 to chase Kelly. Liam Hendriks (1-2) struck out Josh Donaldson and Gleyber Torres to end the inning.

The Yankees put runners on second and third with no outs in the ninth. Kyle Higashioka lifted a sacrifice fly to make it 2-all, but Isiah Kiner-Falefa was thrown out on the play as he tried to advance to third.

“I’ll learn from it, and it won’t happen again,” Kiner-Falefa said.

Keuchel gave up four hits, struck out three and walked three. The Yankees loaded the bases on a single and two walks against the left-hander in the fifth before Anthony Rizzo grounded out to end the inning.

“We’ve made our fair share of mistakes the first couple of nights and they’ve capitalized a lot on those,” Keuchel said. “I felt like if I could make some pitches and execute early, I had a good chance.”

Stanton had three hits for the Yankees. He had homered in each of his three previous games.

Aaron Judge went 1 for 3 after he homered in the last two games for the Yankees.

Yankees starter Jordan Montgomery allowed two runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking a season-high three. The left-hander had allowed no more than two runs and no walks in each of his previous three starts.

“On a night where it wasn’t perfect for him, he gave us a chance,” Boone said.

Moncada homered on the first pitch in the third inning for his second drive in three games. He was activated from the injured list Monday.

The White Sox went ahead in the first inning when Anderson singled, advanced on a groundout and scored on Robert’s single.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: OF Eloy Jiménez (torn hamstring tendon) continues to have good results, manager Tony La Russa said, but he didn’t have a timeline for Jiménez to begin a minor-league rehab assignment. “Everybody believes his progress is really impressive,” La Russa said. “But there is a certain buildup in the muscle that has to happen, and you just can’t fast forward that.” … RHP Lance Lynn (right knee surgery) could start facing hitters after he throws at least one more bullpen, La Russa said. Lynn is expected to pitch in a game by early June.

UP NEXT

LHP Nestor Cortes (1-1, 1.41 ERA) will start for the Yankees on Sunday. He held the Rangers hitless through seven innings Monday, striking out 11. RHP Michael Kopech (0-0, 0.93) will take the mound for Chicago in the series finale.

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Cortes pitches 8 crisp innings as Yankees beat White Sox 5-1

By JAY COHEN | AP Baseball Writer
Sunday, May 15, 2022

CHICAGO (AP) — When Nestor Cortes was in high school, his father used to complain when he wandered off the mound while he was pitching.

“He was sick of me getting tired going into the sixth, so he said stop walking so much and maybe you'll get there,” Cortes said.

Cortes got there, all right. And kept going, all the way to one of baseball's biggest surprises so far this year.

Staying on the mound and working quickly — just like his dad would have wanted — Cortes pitched a career-high eight innings to lead the New York Yankees to a 5-1 victory over Michael Kopech and the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.

“That was another special outing,” manager Aaron Boone said. “I mean, just in complete control.”

New York managed just two hits: a second-inning single for Isiah Kiner-Falefa and a two-run homer by Joey Gallo in the ninth. But it was more than enough, thanks to the crafty Cortes (2-1).

The 27-year-old left-hander, who carried a no-hitter into the eighth in his previous outing against Texas, allowed three hits, struck out seven and walked none in another brilliant performance. He has permitted two runs or fewer in each of his seven starts this year.

Since his first big league outing of last season, on May 30, 2021, Cortes has an AL-low 2.44 ERA over 133 innings. He has allowed three runs or fewer in 16 straight starts, matching Luis Severino in 2018 for the second-longest such streak in franchise history.

“As long as I can go out there and compete and give my team a chance, I'm happy and comfortable,” Cortes said.

Asked if he sees himself as one of the majors' best pitchers, Cortes demurred.

“Not really. There's a lot of good pitchers out there,” he said. “I just try and do my part.”

Clay Holmes finished the four-hitter for New York's 18th win in 21 games. The major league-leading Yankees took three of four in the series.

Kopech (0-1) pitched six innings of one-hit ball for Chicago. The right-hander had five sharp innings — and one real bad one.

“I competed with what I had. But it wasn’t much today,” he said.

New York got to Kopech for three runs in the second after he retired the first two batters, making the most of four walks, a wild pitch and Kiner-Falefa's single to left. Aaron Hicks and DJ LeMahieu each walked with the bases loaded, and Jose Trevino scored on the wild pitch.

Kopech threw 41 pitches in the second, 17 for strikes. He threw a total of 50 pitches in his other five innings, 33 for strikes.

"He just got out of whack. ... What he did to hang in there and pitch six innings was amazing,” White Sox manager Tony La Russa said.

Kopech's shaky stretch provided more than enough run support for Cortes, who retired 15 in a row after Luis Robert extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a first-inning single.

Adam Engel homered for Chicago with one out in the eighth, but Cortes retired the next two batters. Pinch hitter Yasmani Grandal flied out to the warning track in right for the second out.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Yankees: Boone said the team should know more about C Ben Rortvedt's situation at some point this week. Rortvedt was working his way back from a right oblique injury when a knee issue popped up. “It's something he's dealt with in the past,” Boone said. “So we'll see. It could be some kind of surgical procedure that he may have to get." ... RHP Domingo Germán (right shoulder impingement) is scheduled to start throwing live BPs this week. Boone said Germán will be built up as a starter. ... OF Tim Locastro (left lat strain) is progressing pretty well in his rehab, Boone said.

White Sox: 3B Yoán Moncada rested after going 4 for 13 with two homers in the first three games of the series. Manager Tony La Russa said it was just a day off, and Moncada was available off the bench. ... La Russa said RHP Lucas Giolito (COVID-19 IL) is feeling better, but he isn't sure when he will return to the rotation.

UP NEXT

Yankees: RHP Luis Severino (2-0, 4.08 ERA) starts Monday night at Baltimore in the opener of a four-game set. RHP Kyle Bradish (1-1, 4.24 ERA) takes the mound for the Orioles.

White Sox: Open an eight-game trip Monday night at Kansas City. The White Sox haven't announced their starting pitcher, and the Royals plan to go with RHP Brad Keller (1-3, 2.70 ERA).

Jay Cohen can be reached at https://twitter.com/jcohenap

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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