LDN - Sports

White Sox rally for walk-off win over Yankees

[June 28, 2017] CHICAGO -- Jose Abreu wanted one more opportunity. He got it and came through in a big way.

Abreu's walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth gave the Chicago White Sox a comeback 4-3 victory over the New York Yankees.

In the eighth inning, Abreu came up with bases loaded and nobody out trailing 3-1, but he struck out swinging against Yankees reliever Tyler Clippard.

"In the inning after that at-bat where I struck out, I went to thinking, 'God, please give me one more opportunity. Give me one more opportunity to do my job.' I'm glad that I got that opportunity because I was able to help my team win the game and it was very special for me," Abreu said through an interpreter.

The single capped off what White Sox manager Rick Renteria referred to as "an interesting last two innings." Yankees manager Joe Girardi may have a different description for the final two innings, when his bullpen walked six batters and hit another, blowing the 3-1 lead they had grabbed in the top of the eighth.

"We put ourselves in a position to win and we just gave too many free base runners in the last two innings," said Girardi.

The bullpen implosion overshadowed sensational starting pitching on both sides. Yankees righty Luis Severino was overpowering with a career-high 12 strikeouts while giving up only one earned run.

"He threw the ball well," Girardi said. "He had a really good slider tonight and a really good fastball. He threw some good changeups, I think he mixed them in well. ... You hope it's going to be enough, but it wasn't."

White Sox southpaw Jose Quintana continued his scintillating June, giving up zero runs in 6 1/3 innings while striking out six.

"I feel pretty good. I try to do the same as the last couple of starts," said Quintana, who is sporting a 1.78 ERA in June. "I threw pretty good. All of my command was good. I'm happy with that when I keep doing the same. I want to put my team in a really good position."

Quintana has gone 17 innings without allowing a run.

The White Sox (33-43) had given him 22 runs of run support in his past two starts, but scored only one Tuesday night for him on an RBI double from Abreu in the third inning.

"It's just been him commanding the zone, attacking. A lot more strikes," said Renteria. "He still had some at-bats today where he got to 3-2, but then he'd execute, he'd finish and make a pitch that induced a very weak fly ball or groundballs."

The Yankees rallied with two outs in the top of the eighth thanks to clutch hitting from Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez.

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White Sox starting pitcher Jose Quintana (62) throws a pitch against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Judge hit a single up the middle off White Sox reliever Tommy Kahnle for his 60th RBI, driving in pinch-hitter Tyler Wade, who worked a walk in his first major league at-bat.

With Judge on first and Jacoby Ellsbury on second, catcher Gary Sanchez drilled the second pitch he saw from Kahnle to the right-center gap for a two-run double to put the Yankees (41-34) ahead.

Dan Jennings (3-1) relieved Kahnle and pitched a scoreless 1 1/3 innings for the win.

Yankees relievers Domingo German and Tyler Clippard each walked two batters in the eighth, as the White Sox cut the lead to 3-2.

In the ninth inning, Dellin Betances (3-2) -- pitching for the third day in a row -- induced a lead-off groundout to shortstop Tim Anderson before back-to-back walks and then a hit batter. Melky Cabrera fouled out to shallow left before Abreu stepped to the plate and hit a grounder through the whole on the left side for the victory.

"(Betances) was just a little off tonight," Girardi said.

In the series opener, the White Sox scored four in the ninth in a 6-5 loss. On Tuesday night, they could celebrate their late-inning offense.

"For them to get that right now after coming back last night, today finishing it, I think it's a huge lift for them," said Renteria. "At least today, they experienced the joys of being able to battle and come out on top. Those are huge victories morally speaking."

NOTES: Yankees 2B Starlin Castro went on the 10-day disabled list with a Grade 1 right hamstring strain. ... Yankees RF Aaron Judge's walk in the first inning extended his streak to 29 consecutive games reaching base. ... The White Sox optioned RHP Juan Minaya to Triple-A Charlotte following the game. LHP Carlos Rodon will make his first start of the 2017 season Wednesday. He had been on the DL with bursitis in his left biceps.

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