Beltran powers Yanks to win over Chisox

For the New York Yankees, those things were their worst nightmare in their quest to win the American League East. Shortstop Alexei Ramirez started four double plays and third baseman Mike Olt opened the seventh inning with a tiebreaking home run as the White Sox damaged the Yankees division aspirations with a 5-2 win Friday night.

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Erik Johnson (45) reacts after New York Yankees’ Carlos Beltran (36) made it to first base during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, September 27, 2015, in New York.

Justin Wilson, Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller each pitched a ideal inning to preserve the lead Adam Warren handed over and complete a three-hitter in Saturday’s 2-1 win over the Chicago White Sox.

Severino got into trouble in the fifth, when the White Sox got a pair of leadoff singles, and in the sixth, when Chicago put two on with one out.

New York Yankees’ Carlos Beltran watches his three-run home run…

Johnson allowed three runs – two earned – on seven hits with four walks and five strikeouts over 52/3 innings.

“I think it’s good for him to come back in here and get another shot at them and see where he’s at, too, and I think you get a better understanding of how this year has evolved when you face a group like this for the second time”, he added.

“You can look at what Jeet did and what Mo did in ’96”, Girardi said, invoking the nicknames of recent Yankees deities Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, both of whom contributed mightily as rookies to the 1996 championship team. The setback snapped New York’s nine-game winning streak against Chicago, dropping it to four games behind first-place Toronto with nine remaining on its schedule – although it still holds a comfortable lead on Houston for the top wild-card spot.

Sale struck out eight, moving within two of tying the White Sox record of 269 in a season set by Ed Walsh in 1908. In that case, who would the Yankees go to for the one-and-done game?

In his last start, Warren pitched 3.1 innings, allowing three runs, striking out five and walking one in a 4-2 loss to the Blue Jays. “Whoever plays the best baseball in those 10 games, everything’s going to dictate on that”.

Whether it was defensive errors or runners of his own, Johnson found himself in several predicaments against the New York Yankees. There was a single in the second inning, two singles and a hit batsman in the third, and then a double and a walk in the fourth. Nova was 1-5 in his last six starts.

The White Sox (73-82), who were officially eliminated from postseason contention, have also been stagnant with 2.5 runs per game and a.203 average over a 4-7 span. They’re in danger of falling 10 games under.500 for the first time since being 32-42 on June 29. New York RHP Nathan Eovaldi (right elbow inflammation) played catch for the second straight day Saturday and will have Sunday off before the Yankees determine the next step…. Pineda took a shutout into the sixth before allowing a home run to rookie right fielder Trayce Thompson.

Tanaka has been a mostly effective but oft-injured ace in his first two seasons.

[SHOP: Gear up, White Sox fans!].

Through the first five innings, the Yankees got just one runner into scoring position. The biggest issue is getting Tanaka one more start before the wild card game.

NOTES: RHP Masahiro Tanaka (hamstring) threw on flat ground Sunday and Monday he could do a few running and fielding drills.

“I wasn’t able to force them to swing, ” Danks said. The Yankees are 54-26 in their last 80 during game 4 of a series and 5-1 in Severinos last 6 starts.