Yanks Don't Hit For Montgomery, Chapman Blows It

With the income from my new job, I had initially planned to attend last night's game between the Yankees and the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. It was only a change in another part of the schedule that made me call the trip off, not a lack of money, a need to work on the day, or a fear of flying -- or even the weather, which briefly called the game into question earlier in the week.

So, it was me and my television set back in New Jersey. Jordan Montgomery started, and he seems to be the only starting pitcher on the Yankees who regularly doesn't get the run support he needs. He got into the 5th inning, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks. Clarke Schmidt went 2 and 2/3rds, and Clay Holmes 1, without allowing further damage.

But Dallas Keuchel started for the South Siders. He had humiliated the Yankees for the Houston Astros in the 2015 American League Wild Card Game. (Or, you could say, the Yankees humiliated themselves. Or, maybe the Astros were already cheating by that point.) I had wanted Brian Cashman to acquire him for the Yankees, but he refused. This time, he held the Yankees off the scoreboard for 5 innings.

The Yankees wasted a leadoff double by Giancarlo Stanton and a walk by Joey Gallo in the 2nd inning, a single by Stanton in the 4th, and a single by Josh Donaldson in the 6th. With 1 out in the 8th, the Yankees got 3 straight singles, from Aaron Judge, Anthony Rizzo and Stanton, but Donaldson and Gleyber Torres struck out to end the threat.

You know how I feel about leadoff walks? In the 9th, a leadoff walk by Gallo was followed by a single by Isiah Kiner-Falefa that got Gallo to 3rd, and a stolen base by IKF. But Kyle Higashioka grounded into a double play. It got Gallo home to tie the game, but was followed by a strikeout by DJ LeMahieu.

Aroldis Chapman hadn't pitched in several days, so putting him in for the bottom of the 9th with the game tied was justified. But just because something is justified doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. Cliché Alert: Aroldis gotta Aroldis. He got the 1st out, but allowed a single to Tim Anderson, a walk to Yoan Moncada, who had earlier homered off the Yankees for the 2nd game in a row, and then a single by Luis Robert that scored Anderson.

White Sox 3, Yankees 2. WP: Liam Hendriks (1-2). No save. LP: Chapman (0-1). The Yankees had won 5 in a row, and 19 of their last 22. I have to be honest: If I'd gone all that way, and spent all that money, and seen a loss, I would have been furious. Instead, I stayed home, and was only mildly disappointed.

The Yankees remain in 1st place by 4 1/2 games, 5 in the loss column, over the Tampa Bay Rays.

The series concludes this afternoon, with Nestor Cortes starting against Michael Kopech.