White Sox at Yankees
Riding their longest winning streak in nearly five years, the New York Yankees look to remain perfect on their nine-game homestand when they continue a three-game set against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night. New York has won eight in a row and started 7-0 at home for the first time since 1998, when it won 114 games on the way to a World Series title.
"So much of it depends on your pitching," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said after Monday's 7-4 victory, "and that has been the key in this eight-game winning streak." Solid pitching aside, the Yankees scored at least seven runs for the fifth time in eight games as Matt Holliday and Aaron Judge each homered and drove in three runs. Chicago fell to 4-3 on its nine-game road trip, falling into a 7-0 hole before Yolmer Sanchez made things interesting by going 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs Tuesday, raising his average nearly 200 points in the past two games. The White Sox send Miguel Gonzalez to the mound Tuesday to oppose New York's Luis Severino.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, CSN Chicago-Plus, YES (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox RH Miguel González (1-0, 4.22 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Luis Severino (1-0, 4.50)
Gonzalez squandered a chance for a second straight victory in his last turn, failing to get through the fifth inning in Cleveland despite Chicago staking him to a 7-1 lead after two frames. The 32-year-old Mexican was solid in his season debut, holding Minnesota to two runs over six innings. He has been hit well by Yankees outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury (.375) and Brett Gardner (.310).
Severino had a pedestrian season debut in Baltimore, giving up four runs and six hits over five innings, but his last outing showed why the Yankees have held the 23-year-old Dominican in such high regard. Severino struck out a season-high 11 batters and permitted two runs on five hits over seven innings to earn the win versus Tampa Bay. White Sox slugger Jose Abreu is 3-for-5 against Severino.
WALK-OFFS
1. 3B Chase Headley is 10-for-22 with seven runs scored in the last seven games for the Yankees, who won 10 straight in July 2012.
2. 3B Todd Frazier hopes to return to the lineup Tuesday for Chicago, which is 7-21 at the new Yankee Stadium.
3. Judge joined Mickey Mantle as the only Yankee outfielder under age 25 to homer four times in the first 13 games.