Pettitte Gets Rocked in Yankees Loss to White Sox

newyorkdailynews.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

August 5^th, 2013

New York Yankees vs Chicago White Sox

Final Score: Yankees 1 White Sox 8

The New York Yankees had yet another let down against a poor team, this time against the Chicago White Sox on Monday night. The loss moves the Yankees to (57-54), which is 9.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox in the AL East, and five games behind both Wild Card Spots.

Yankees Starter Andy Pettitte had a very bad start, which resulted in his ninth loss of the season, and the second straight awful start from a Yankees Pitcher. The White Sox wasted little time getting to Pettitte, as in the first inning they scored three runs started from an RBI single from Alex Rios that scored Alexi Ramirez for the first run of the game. Adam Dunn would hit a sac-fly a few batters later to score Jeff Keppinger for the second run of the inning, and the Gordon Beckham would hit a single to score Rios for the third run. In the second inning Rios would get to Pettitte again, as he picked up two more RBIs on a single, which scored Josh Phegley and Keppinger, making it a 5-0 White Sox lead. The third inning would be Pettitte's last, as another bad inning led to two more runs against him, as Ramirez singled home Beckham, and with the bases loaded Joe Girardi pulled Pettitte for Preston Claiborne, who walked in the seventh White Sox run of the game before getting the final out in the inning. Pettitte finished going just 2.2 innings allowing seven runs on 11 hits, and one walk in what was an awful start.

For the second straight game the Yankees bullpen was taxed with a short start from their Starting Pitcher, and in the sixth inning the White Sox would get to Shawn Kelley for what would their final run of the game on a Ramirez RBI double that scored Alejandro De Aza making it 8-0.

White Sox Starter Jose Quintana provided Chicago with a great start against the Yankees and got a well deserved sixth win of the season. The Yankees offense was only able to muster up one run against Quintana in the seventh inning, as Brett Gardner hit a sac-fly that scored Eduardo Nunez. Quintana finished up going 6.2 innings allowing only one run on eight hits, one walk, and struck out five batters.

Despite being suspended for 211 games on Monday afternoon Alex Rodriguez made his debut for the Yankees on Monday night due to appealing the suspension handed down to him. Rodriguez would single in his first at-bat, but finished the game going one for four. Also notably for the for the Yankees was Vernon Wells getting the start at First Base to try and get some more right-handers in the lineup, and the moved payed off at the plate for Girardi, as Wells went three for four with a pair of doubles.

Next up the Yankees will be sending their ace to the mound on Tuesday night, as Hiroki Kuroda (10-6, 2.38) will be facing the White Sox's ace in Chris Sale (6-11, 2.92).