The New York Yankees shaved a half-game off the lead of the idle Toronto Blue Jays tonight, but had to sweat a bit to come away with a 3-2 win over the Chicago White Sox, who are going nowhere but home 10 days from today.
They jumped out to a 3-0 lead off the formidable Chris Sale, but could get no more the rest of the way, and meanwhile, the White Sox chipped away with runs in the sixth and seventh. They had a runner on with the dangerous Jose Abreu at the plate with one out in the ninth but closer Andrew Miller struck him out and got Melky Cabrera to fly out to earn his 35th save.
Starter Michael Pineda got hit hard at times -- eight hits in six innings, including a long solo home run -- but escaped twice from jams and Joe Girardi got him out of there maybe a bit early, after just 89 pitches. Pineda goes to 12-8, with a 3.99 ERA.
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The Yankees took a 3-0 lead in the third when Carlos Beltran -- who was honored for being the AL's Player of the Month for August before the game -- lined a 2-2 pitch from Sale into the left-field seats with Chase Headley (fielder's choice) and Alex Rodriguez (walk) on base, his 18th home run of the season. It was also the 2,000th run scored by Rodriguez, the eighth player in big league history to reach that milestone. More importantly, the three runs in one inning were as many as the Yankees had scored in their previous 40 innings against Sale.
Rodriguez's 2,000th run put him on a short list of players who have had 3,000 hits, drove in 2,000 runs and scored 2,000. In fact, it's a very short list. Just Rodriguez and Hank Aaron.
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Girardi went to Dellin Betances when Justin Wilson allowed two runners to reach base with two out in the seventh, on a walk and a single. But Betances, who has struggled lately, walked the first two batters he faced, forcing in a run to cut the lead to 3-2 before striking out Adam LaRoche to end the inning. To that point, Betances had walked seven of the last 19 batters he had faced.
A bizarre play occurred in the third inning whenJacoby Ellsbury (hit by pitch, stolen base) collided in the baseline with Alexei Ramirez as the White Sox shortstop was trying to catch a pop fly off the bat of Headley. Ellsbury was called out for interference, which brought Girardi out for an argument with crew chief Fieldin Culbreath, but to no avail.
For once, it was the Yankees opponent rather than the Yankees themselves who squandered a great scoring opportunity. The White Sox loaded the bases on three singles -- Beltran held Adam Eaton at third with a strong throw home on the last of the three -- in the third inning but came away empty-handed when Pineda blew some 95 mph heat past cleanup hitter Trayce Thompson to end the inning. Pineda wriggled out of a similar mess in the fifth after allowing two one-out singles, but a great play by Headley on Abreu's grounder that could have been a two-run double got the second out. Pineda then got Cabrera to ground to first to end the inning.
The Yankees held a brief pregame tribute to their late catcher, who died Tuesday at 90. A video tribute was shown, a floral wreath in the shape of Berra's No. 8 was laid at home plate by a contingent of Yankee catchers, including Girardi, a moment of silence was observed and a Navy bugler blew taps. Very tasteful, respectful and understated. Too bad the stands were about one-quarter full during the ceremony.
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