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NYY Series Recap
White Sox leave the Bronx with a split vibe: one statement win, two tough lessons
Chicago’s three-game set in New York ended with the kind of record math that looks fine and feels complicated: the White Sox walked out 19-15, just a half-step ahead of the Yankees at 19-16 — but the road trip carried more sting than swagger after a 1-2 series.
They showed they can punch with anybody (Game 1), then watched two winnable games tilt on defense, missed chances, and one brutal Yankee Stadium momentum swing.
Game 1 (May 8): White Sox 8, Yankees 4 — power show + Flaherty’s punchouts
The opener was the “we belong here” game.
Chicago jumped the Yankees early, kept landing haymakers late, and backed Jack Flaherty as he carved up New York with 10 strikeouts in 5 innings.
The innings that told the story:
3-run 3rd to flip the script
Luis Robert Jr. with the loudest moment: a 2-run homer in the 5th that gave Chicago breathing room
Miguel Vargas slammed the door emotionally with a 2-run shot in the 8th to stretch it to 8-3
It wasn’t clean (Yankees homered too), but it was controlled — and it looked like the Sox were ready to take the series by the throat.
Game 2 (May 9): Yankees 5, White Sox 3 — the lead was real… until it wasn’t
Chicago did enough early to win. They just didn’t do enough after.
The Sox blitzed to a 3-0 lead, manufacturing runs with traffic and speed, and they got a solid start from Shane Smith (5 IP, only 1 earned run). But once New York started leaning into the middle innings, the margins got thin.
The turning point was the 7th inning: an error opened the door, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. kicked it down with a 2-run homer that turned a tie game into a 5-3 New York lead.
Chicago had chances — plenty of baserunners, plenty of contact — but the big hit never arrived once the Yankees drew even.
Game 3 (May 10): Yankees 8, White Sox 1 — one bad inning, and it avalanche’d
Sunday turned into the kind of game where you look up and it’s already sideways.
Mike Vasil kept Chicago in it for most of his outing, and the Sox finally scratched their lone run in the 6th on a Colson Montgomery RBI double to make it 2-1.
Then the bottom half hit like a train.
New York exploded for a 4-run 6th, and once that inning started rolling, it never really stopped. The Yankees stacked hits, forced mistakes, and turned every small crack into a full collapse.
The final line was ugly — 14 Yankee hits, and the Sox were again fighting the defensive/cleanup battle on the same day.
Series themes that mattered
1) The defense turned two games into uphill climbs
Chicago committed multiple errors in both losses, and both games had that same rhythm: “hang around, create a chance… give it back.”
2) The offense was boom-or-bust
In the win: 8 runs with multiple homers and a knockout late.
In the losses: 3 and 1, with stretches where the Sox put men on but couldn’t land the finishing shot.
3) Luis Robert Jr. looked like the headline guy
He drove the opener and stayed central to the series storyline — when he’s the one doing damage, Chicago’s lineup looks dangerous fast.
Notable news: Conley brings some sunshine from the system
Even with the Bronx frustration, the organization got a jolt elsewhere: top prospect 2B Dave Conley was named Arizona Complex League Player of the Week after torching pitching with 15 hits in 27 at-bats, 3 homers, 10 RBI, and 13 runs scored.
If you’re looking for a “future is coming” reminder after a rough couple days? That’s it.
Where it leaves them
Chicago’s still in a strong spot at 19-15, and the Yankees aren’t far behind at 19-16 — but this series had a clear message: the Sox can absolutely beat top clubs… and they can also give away air if the defense slips and the offense doesn’t cash in.
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