The Chicago White Sox entered Monday night's game against the Yankees having lost 10 of their last 11 games, and been shut out in 20 consecutive innings. They didn't fare a lot better against A.J. Burnett, but two runs were enough as White Sox starter Philip Humber and two relievers combined to blank the Yankees on three hits.
White Sox Vs. Yankees: Humber And Relievers Shut Out Bombers, 2-0
For 6-1/3 innings, it seemed like Humber, making just his sixth start in the majors, might throw a no-hitter.
The third overall pick in the 2004 amateur draft and once a top prospect, Humber entered Monday night’s start at Yankee Stadium with a 5.04 career ERA and a 4.42 mark this season.
In the bottom of the seventh with one out, Humber walked Mark Teixeira on a 3-2 pitch, and Alex Rodriguez followed with a hard grounder up the middle for the Yankees' first hit. Ozzie Guillen resisted the temptation to replace Humber, who rewarded his manager's confidence by striking out Robinson Cano and retiring Nick Swisher on a grounder to end the threat.
Meanwhile, A.J. Burnett nearly matched Humber, giving up only three hits in eight innings. The White Sox scored their first run in the fourth when Adam Dunn's routine grounder drove home Carlos Quentin, who'd led off the inning with a double. They scored their second in the ninth, thanks to a pop-up right behind the mound that reliever Rafael Soriano gave up on.
With Humber having thrown 100 pitches, Guillen did go to his bullpen to start the bottom of the eighth. Chris Sale came in first, and recorded two outs before giving way to Sergio Santos, who worked around Curtis Granderson's leadoff single in the ninth to earn the save and preserve Humber's fourth career victory.
For more on the White Sox and Yankees, please check out team blogs South Side Sox and Pinstripe Alley.
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