LDN - Sports

Yankees get 20 hits in win vs. Sox

[July 06, 2016] CHICAGO -- If the New York Yankees are going to turn things around in the final three months of the season, the offense and starting pitching need to be more consistent.

If their game Tuesday against the Chicago White Sox was any indication of what's on tap, they're off to a great start. Starter Masahiro Tanaka didn't allow a run in 7 2/3 innings and the offense cranked out a season-high 20 hits in a 9-0 win at U.S. Cellular Field to even their series with the White Sox (43-41).

Tanaka, pitching on five days' rest instead of four, kept Chicago off-balance for most of his outing. He struck out six, walked one and worked around a couple of minor trouble spots.

"I think he had everything going," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "His sinker, his curveball, his slider and his (split-finger fastball), I think he used all his pitches and used them all effectively."

Tanaka (6-2) has allowed no more than two earned runs in six of his last nine starts. He also improved to 2-0 with a 2.32 ERA in three career starts against the White Sox.

"I think it had to do with the command and having a good breaking ball," Tanaka said through an interpreter. "I think those two (things) really helped me tonight."

Brett Gardner went 4-for-6 and scored two runs, Carlos Beltran was 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI, and Mark Teixeira went 2-for-5 with two RBIs to lead New York (41-42), which had seven doubles and two home runs.

Chase Headley went 3-for-5, clubbing a two-run homer, and Kevin Romine went 2-for-5 with a solo homer to help tag the White Sox with a season high in hits allowed.

Six of the Yankees' runs and 12 of their hits were off Chicago starter Carlos Rodon, who went just five innings and struggled with his location.

"It comes down to command," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "This is the wrong lineup to be erratic and get behind. It just seemed like every hitter was 2-0, 2-1 and you just can't do it. They have too many good hitters and too many veteran hitters that take advantage of that. He's got to be better at being able to get ahead, get ahead early. His slider's not going to be effective if you're always behind and trying to get the swing and miss stuff."

Alex Rodriguez was one of those veteran hitters who got to Rodon early. Rodriguez went 1-for-6 with a first-inning double that moved him past Dave Winfield on baseball's career list with his 3,111th hit. It was also his 547th career double, which tied him with Manny Ramirez for 29th all time.

Rodriguez and Beltran had back-to-back hits in the first that nearly produced the game's first run, but a nice defensive play by Brett Lawrie to throw Beltran out at the plate prevented it.

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Yankees second baseman Starlin Castro (14) hits a single during the sixth inning against the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports

Rodon wasn't able to escape the second inning unscathed. New York took a 2-0 lead on three hits and an error, including Beltran's RBI single and Gardner scoring the second run on a fielding error by rookie shortstop Tim Anderson.

The lead grew to 4-0 in the third. Headley followed Starlin Castro's leadoff single with his seventh homer of the season. The Yankees pushed it to 6-0 with additional runs against Rodon in the fourth on two doubles and in the fifth on Romine's solo homer. They tacked on three more runs against Chicago's bullpen, scoring twice in the eighth and once in the ninth.

"They were hitting the ball well," Rodon said. "They came out swinging today. Hats off to them. (They've got) some experienced guys on that team and they put it to me."

NOTES: White Sox LHP Chris Sale was named to the American League roster for the All-Star Game on Tuesday. Sale (14-2) is a strong candidate to start. ... RHP Dellin Betances, LHP Andrew Miller and OF Carlos Beltran were named to the AL's All-Star roster from the Yankees. ... New York manager Joe Girardi gave SS Didi Gregorious a day off, replacing him with 2B/INF Starlin Castro. ... OF Jacoby Ellsbury had an ice bag on a leg, but Girardi said it wasn't the reason Ellsbury didn't start. ... New York recalled LHP Chasen Shreve from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to replace RHP Luis Cessa, who was optioned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to be a starter. ... White Sox manager Robin Ventura said it would be "very optimistic" to expect 1B/DH Justin Morneau (elbow surgery) to be activated from the 15-day disabled list soon after the All-Star break. Ventura expects Morneau will need longer to get his timing back at the plate.

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