Nova, bullpen send Yankees past White Sox
NEW YORK -- Ivan Nova pitched effectively into the sixth inning and the New York Yankees grabbed a lead to use their late-inning trio of Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman for the first time in a 2-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday.
After allowing one run and four hits in 5 2/3 innings, Nova (2-1) turned things over to Betances, Miller and Chapman for the final 10 outs.
Betances recorded the first four outs, getting Melky Cabrera, Brett Lawrie, Avisail Garcia and Dioner Navarro to strike out swinging on a combined 21 pitches.
Miller recorded the next three outs, striking out Austin Jackson and Jose Abreu. Abreu's strikeout occurred with a chance to give the White Sox the lead as Adam Eaton singled off Miller.
Chapman began the ninth by blowing a 101-mph fastball by Todd Frazier for a strikeout. Chapman reached a full count on pinch hitter Jerry Sands before getting a strikeout on a 99-mph fastball.
Chapman fell behind Lawrie on a 2-0 count but finished off his second save by getting the second baseman to fly out to right on a 101-mph pitch.
The Yankees mustered little off Jose Quintana (5-2), who allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings.
New York's runs came on consecutive pitches with two outs in the second.
Aaron Hicks doubled over Jackson's head in center field and Didi Gregorius singled to right field to score Hicks.
New York nearly made it 3-0 when Austin Romine doubled to deep center field but the ball bounced over the fence and the Yankees had second and third. Quintana escaped further trouble by retiring Brett Gardner on a groundout.
The White Sox scored in the fourth when Frazier sent Nova's first-pitch fastball into the left field seats for his 12th home run with one out in the fourth.
NOTES: The Yankees made eight transactions Saturday. They placed RHP Luis Severino (right triceps strain) on the 15-day disabled list, recalled RHP Chad Green and purchased the contract of RHP Conor Mullee from Scranton/Wilkes Barre. New York also optioned C Gary Sanchez back to Triple-A, acquired RHP J.R. Graham from Minnesota and optioned him to Double-A Trenton. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Yankees moved 1B Greg Bird, RHP Bryan Mitchell and OF Mason Williams to the 60-day disabled list. ... According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Chicago LHP Chris Sale is the fifth pitcher to win his first eight straight starts while recording an ERA under 2.00. The others were Ed Lopat (1951), Sal Maglie (1952), Fernando Valenzuela (1981) and Pedro Martinez (1997).