The White Sox gave everything they had, but it simply wasn’t enough. They trailed 3-0 before Chase Meidroth saved the day with a massive two-run homer in the ninth. Yet, the final score of 3-2 to the Yankees stings because they were one run away from a miracle. This team showed heart, but heart alone does not win games in this league.
Anthony Kay’s Struggle Against the Runners
Anthony Kay pitched well enough to keep the game alive for most of the night. He worked through 5 1/3 innings and struck out seven batters. However, the Yankees scored three runs off him thanks to some bad luck and poor execution. Per South Side Sox, back-to-back singles started the rally that put the Yankees ahead early. Kay uncorked a wild pitch that moved runners into scoring position, allowing Anthony Volpe to score. Max Schuemann then doubled to left to bring in another run. While he pitched, the offense gave the pitcher no run support despite his solid performance. That is a cruel break for any starter.
Even worse, Kay hit his 20th batter of the season, adding to a growing joke about his control issues. He hit DomÃnguez for the second time in the sixth inning. Jordan Hicks had to come in to clean up the mess. The White Sox bullpen got a bit of a reprieve, but the damage was already done. The offense mustered only three hits against Kay during his start. It is hard to win when your own team cannot put the ball in play.
Control was the story.
Gerrit Cole Shut the Door on Hopes
Gerrit Cole was the real story of the night for New York. He shut down the South Siders effectively for all six of his innings. Just four hits and two walks were allowed by the veteran, who struck out seven. The main difference between Cole’s outing and Kay’s is that the Yankees finagled three runs. With runners in scoring position, the White Sox went 0-for-3 and left seven on base. According to South Side Sox, the team’s greatest opportunity arrived in the bottom of the fourth. They made Cole navigate a bases-loaded jam with 32 pitches. Still, they could not get the job done when it mattered most.
The White Sox actually outhit the Yankees in this game, which makes the loss even more frustrating. Not until the bottom of the ninth did they score any runs at all. But waiting too long is a habit this team cannot afford. They need to score early and often if they want to beat teams like New York. Teeing off on Cole and winning against the Yankees would have been a great way to bounce back. Instead, they fall short again.
The scoreboard reflects a 3-2 reality.
