Brian McCann, in his Alfonso Sorianoesque all-or-nothing fashion, hit one out in the 1st inning, his 7th of the season, to give the Yankees a 3-0 before the Pale Hose even came to bat.
But Hiroki Kuroda, yet again, didn't have it. He allowed a run in the bottom of the 1st, and by the time he left in the 5th, the Yankees were down 4-3.
Hector Noesi, released by the Seattle Mariners after he was "the other guy" that they got along with Jesus Montero in sending Michael Pineda to the Yankees, pitched 6 strong innings for the White Sox. Not that I have anything against the White Sox, but the fact that the Yankees were getting stymied (there's a verb you don't see very often anymore) by someone they traded away was sickening.
The Yankees needed more runs, and they struck back in the top of the 7th. And, for the 2nd time in 3 days, a wild pitch from a Chicago-based pitcher aided them in a late situation.
Brian Roberts led off the inning with a single. Soriano then singled. Brett Gardner bunted them over. Derek Jeter walked to load the bases. Tying run on 3rd, go-ahead run on 2nd, insurance run on 1st, 1 out.
Scott Downs was now pitching, and, with Jacoby Ellsbury at the plate, he threw a wild pitch. Everybody moved up, and Roberts scored. Tie ballgame. Ellsbury flew to center. Sacrifice fly: Soriano scored. 5-4 Yankees.
However, it's worth noting that the Yankees had men on 1st & 2nd with nobody out in the 3rd; 1st & 2nd with 2 out in the 4th; 1st & 2nd with nobody out, and then 2nd & 3rd with 2 out, in the 8th; and a man on 1st with 2 out in the 9th. Total runs scored in those innings: None.
David Robertson came on to close it out in the bottom of the 9th. He'd had, to that point, 9 save opportunities this season. He had succeeded in all 9.
But he allowed a leadoff single to Dayan Viciedo. And then, up to the plate stepped Adam Dunn. He has a good chance of breaking Reggie Jackson's career record for strikeouts. But he also had 447 career home runs, including the longest ever in Cincinnati's Great American Ballpark (once his home park) and, formerly, the longest ever in Washington's Nationals Park (also his home park at the time).
Make it 448: Dunn cranked one to center field. Robertson knew it was gone the moment he turned around, and was disgusted at himself for throwing such a slugger a big fat meatball.
White Sox 6, Yankees 5. WP: Daniel Webb (4-0). No save. LP: Robertson (0-1).
The Yankees are only 1 game out of 1st place in the loss column, but are also now just 1 game over .500. And now, we get to watch Vidal Nuno pitch. Oh, joy.
At least we have the comfort of the Red Sox having lost 8 straight.
"Well, tonight, thank God it's them, instead of you!"
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