CHICAGO – Over the course of this week, the White Sox have played well and could very well be sitting with nine-game winning streak.
But just two innings have broken up the chance to do that in two separate games at Guaranteed Rate Field.
After a nightmare ninth frame against the Guardians on Monday in which the White Sox gave up six runs in an eventual 12-9 loss, the team had their second an inning earlier on Thursday to start a series with the Yankees.
After a three-run homer by Yoan Moncada to tie the game in the seventh, the White Sox surrendered seven runs to New York in the top of the eighth. The blow took out any shot at a comeback as the Yankees cruised to a 15-7 victory.
That frame saw White Sox relievers Joe Kelly and Tanner Banks surrender seven runs to the Yankees on just three hits, with walks proving to be the downfall of the White Sox in this inning. What made it worse was the fact the first reliever got the first two outs of the innings with the first two batters.
But Kelly ran into trouble with walks as he gave up three-straight before Aaron Judge’s single brought home a pair of runs. Another walk to Anthony Rizzo forced manager Tony La Russa to bring in Banks, who struggled right from the start.
Giancarlo Stanton’s single to center brought home two runs before Josh Donalson hit a three-run homer to bring the Yankee’s total for the inning to seven.
The difficult inning has been a theme for the White Sox late in games this week, with six coming against the Guardians Monday then seven on Thursday. It’s cost the team a pair of wins, too, in what’s been an up-and-down start to 2022.