The Yankees lost to the White Sox Wednesday night, a 5-0 affair that saw yet another disappearing act by the team’s offense, as well as a frustrating backslide for starter Michael Pineda.
After an abysmal beginning to the 2016 season, Pineda was quietly excellent for the Yankees in the month of June, posting a 2.75 ERA in 36 innings and striking out more than a batter per. He was unable to make it two innings into July before things began to unravel again, however. After a clean nine-pitch first inning, Pineda quickly retired the first two batters in the second. Brett Lawrie then shot a single to right field, and Pineda followed that up by serving Dioner Navarro a four-pitch walk. Pineda then hung a slider to Avisail Garcia, who sharply singled in Chicago’s first run. J.B. Shuck followed that by smacking a ground-rule double into the left field corner, plating the second run of the inning. Finally, Pineda hung another slider to Tim Anderson, who shot it past a diving Chase Headley for a two-run double, making it 4-0 Chicago.
Pineda would settle down from there, eventually lasting six innings and allowing just one more run. Five runs is four more than White Sox starter Miguel Gonzalez would need, however, with the Yankee offense asleep at the wheel. The team mustered just five hits in Gonzalez’s seven innings, two by Jacoby Ellsbury and three by Didi Gregorius. When Gregorius managed to get to third base with one out in the fifth, Gonzalez quickly induced an infield fly from Aaron Hicks and a ground out from Ellsbury to escape the inning. On the few other occasions that the Yankees managed to get a man into scoring position, Gonzalez maneuvered out of trouble with similar ease.
The Play: Tim Anderson doubles home a pair in the second (+.119 WPA)
Pineda seemingly lost his focus after getting the first two outs of the second inning. After giving up a single, walk and single, he left a fastball over the plate to Shuck, and then hung this slider to Anderson. Both pitches went for doubles, and both helped Chicago build a lead the Yankee offense would never challenge.
Top Performers
Yankees: Didi Gregorius (3 for 4, 1 2B, 1 SB)
White Sox: Miguel Gonzalez (7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 3 K, 1 BB)
Notes
-Nathan Eovaldi made his first appearance since being moved to the bullpen earlier this week. It was his first relief appearance since his rookie season in 2011. Eovaldi threw two scoreless innings, allowing two walks and no hits. His fastball was routinely hitting triple-digits, and registered as high as 102 mph.
-Before the game, news broke that Yankees suspended their number two prospect SS Jorge Mateo for two weeks for a violation of team policy. According to reports, Mateo was displeased about not yet being promoted to Double-A and mouthed off to the New York brass. Mateo was scheduled to appear in Sunday’s Futures Game, but will now be forced to sit out.
The Quote
“The first quarter of it was really a struggle for him, and it had a lot to do with location. This last quarter has been better. Today he had one bad inning, and it really cost him. Hopefully the second half is really consistent.” -Joe Girardi on Michael Pineda’s season so far
The Highlight: Pineda notches his 500th career strikeout
After his rookie season in 2011 it appeared Pineda would reach strikeout number 500 in no time. A couple of years and shoulder surgeries later, it was a question whether he’d ever get there at all. He reached the milestone in the fifth inning on Wednesday, the brightest moment of an otherwise dull affair for the Yankees.
Up Next
After dropping two of three to the White Sox, the Yankees will fly to Cleveland to begin a four-game series with the AL Central-leading Indians on Thursday. The team will send Ivan Nova to the mound to face one of Cleveland’s many talented starting pitchers, Trevor Bauer. Bauer has run a 3.02 ERA in 95 and 1/3 innings thus far in 2016. Nova, meanwhile, has struggled to the tune of a 5.06 ERA in 2016, though was passable against San Diego in his last outing. Game time is 7:10 pm.
Lead photo: Mike Dinovo / USA Today Sports