LDN - Sports

Shields, White Sox earn soggy win over Yankees

[June 30, 2017] CHICAGO -- A nearly three-hour rain delay didn't set back James Shields on Thursday.

The White Sox right-hander came out for a 10 p.m. CDT first pitch and worked a season-high 6 1/3 innings in a 4-3 Chicago victory over the New York Yankees that concluded in the early hours of Friday.

"It didn't really affect me too much," Shields, who picked up his first victory since April 6, said of the delay. "I was ready to go. It wasn't the latest game I've ever started."

Shields (2-1) made his third start since returning from the disabled list on June 18. He allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits, walked three and struck out two.

"I felt good for the most part," he said. "I was a little inconsistent throughout the game, but I made pitches when I needed to. My outfield did a phenomenal job, the infield as well."

Chicago's bullpen worked 2 2/3 scoreless innings. Closer David Robertson allowed a single but worked a scoreless ninth, striking out slugger Aaron Judge to seal his 12th save.

The victory gave Chicago (34-44) a split in the four-game series. The Yankees (42-35) fell one-game behind the first-place Boston Red Sox in the American League East.

New York starter right-hander Luis Cessa (0-3) gave up four runs (two earned) on five hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out one.

For the Yankees, the loss was overshadowed by a season-ending injury to right fielder Dustin Fowler, called up from Triple-A earlier Thursday.

Fowler was hurt with two outs in the bottom of the first. While chasing a liner down the first-base line, he hit his right knee on a low fence as the ball went foul. Fowler hopped away from the fence, and his leg gave out.

He sustained an open rupture of his right patellar tendon and underwent surgery Thursday night at a local hospital.

"I know what it takes to get here and how hard he worked," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "What's supposed to be an exciting day for him turns into a really bad day. I'm still in disbelief, I'm in tears for the kid. I know he'll fight to get back here."

Willy Garcia had two hits, including a tiebreaking two-run double in the fourth inning, and Jose Abreu added two hits for the White Sox. New York leadoff hitter Brett Gardner went 2-for-5.

The Yankees scored an unearned run for a first-inning lead when Gardner reached on an infield single and Judge walked. Didi Gregorius grounded to first on a fielder's choice, and Gardner scored from second on a throwing error by White Sox first baseman Abreu.

Chicago evened the score with a second-inning unearned run as Gary Sanchez, who reached on a fielder's choice, scored on Adam Engel's long fly to right with two outs that was misplayed by Rob Refsnyder, Fowler's replacement.

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White Sox starting pitcher James Shields (33) pitches in the first inning against the New York Yankees at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports

White Sox catcher Omar Narvaez then singled home Engel for a 2-1 lead.

New York third baseman Ronald Torreyes made it 2-2 in the fourth with a two-out single to left to score Jacoby Ellsbury from second. Torreyes was thrown out while trying to stretch the hit into a double.

Garcia's two-out double to left drove in Sanchez and Engel for a 4-2 Chicago lead.

White Sox left fielder Melky Cabrera robbed Judge of a homer in the fifth with a perfectly timed jump and catch at the fence. It would have been Judge's major-league-leading 28th long ball.

"That ball was deep, with the power that he has you have to be deep in the outfield," Cabrera said. "I jumped at the precise moment."

Cessa faced runners on first and second with one out in the fifth, but Gardner's diving catch for a second out prevented at least one run. Kevan Smith loaded the bases with a two-out infield single, and that spelled the end of Cessa's night.

Left hander Chasen Shreve got Engel to pop out foul to end the threat.

The Yankees climbed within 4-3 in the sixth thanks to Ellsbury's leadoff triple and Austin Romine's one-out fielder's choice grounder.

NOTES: The Yankees announced a flurry of transactions prior to the game, calling up OF Dustin Fowler and 1B Chris Carter, moving INF Miguel Andujar to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, transferring 1B Greg Bird (right ankle bruise) to the 60-day disabled list and designating OF Mason Williams for assignment. ... Yankees RHP Michael Pineda (7-4, 4.12 ERA) is scheduled to pitch the series opener at AL West-leading Houston on Friday, facing Astros RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (7-1, 2.53 ERA). ... The White Sox remain home to open a three-game weekend series against Texas as they send RHP Mike Pelfrey (3-6, 3.73 ERA) against Rangers RHP Austin Bibens-Dirkx (3-0, 3.68 ERA). ... Chicago OF Avisail Garcia had an MRI on Thursday after sustaining a left knee injury late in Wednesday's 12-3 loss to the Yankees. Garcia said he hopes he is sidelined just a few days. ... The White Sox placed RHP Jake Petricka (right elbow strain) on the 10-day disabled list and called up RHP Juan Minaya from Triple-A Charlotte.

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