NEW YORK – That 11-8 stretch that applied a needed, soothing balm on the White Sox’ 3-22 start collided head on with the 33-15 Yankees this weekend.
The result was not surprising.
The streaking Yankees, behind the pitching of former Sox Carlos Rodon and two short-porch home runs at Yankee Stadium, won 7-2 to complete a three-game sweep Sunday, the seventh endured by the Sox (14-33) in the first seven weeks of the season.
Chris Flexen lasted four innings, giving up seven hits including homers to Joe Berti, his first, and Aaron Judge, his 13th. They carried 366 and 339 feet over the right-field wall, respectively, but such are the perils of Gotham.
“That’s the way the park plays, no excuses on that,” manager Pedro Grifol said.
“They are in first place for a reason, but four innings, seven runs, that’s dog s—- anywhere,” Flexen [2-4, 5.48 ERA] said. “Very frustrated with today and I failed to do my job.”
The Sox, last in the majors with 34 homers, were out-homered 8-1 in the series.
Rodon (5-1, 3.27) gave up two runs over six innings, striking out six.
Julks hits, takes away homer
Corey Julks, starting his second game of the series since the Sox’ trade with the Astros, reached base three times and hit his first homer and took a homer away from Jose Trevino with a leap at the left-field wall.
Per Sports Info Solutions, Julks joins Luis Robert Jr., Eloy Jimenez, Adam Engel and Jermaine Dye as the only Sox outfielders in the last 20 years to homer and take away a homer in the same game.
N.Y. homecomings
Infielders Danny Mendick and Zach Remillard grew up in the area and were Yankees fans as kids. Remillard played in two games at second base, Mendick in all three at third base over the weekend.
“It’s amazing,” said Mendick, a big Derek Jeter fan growing up, of Yankee Stadium. “You watch them on TV as a kid and then to play on the field, knowing the history and all the Hall of Fame players, it’s cool.”
Remillard walked twice Friday and tripled in a run Sunday, but got picked off second Friday and at third base Sunday.
“It’s actually a designed play, I’ve seen it done before with [catcher Yadier] Molina in St. Louis,” Grifol said. “On a checked swing, everybody’s looking at the first base umpire to see if he’s going to call it or not.”
Mendick went hitless in the first two games and doubled Sunday. He also lined out hard to Rodon.
Ramos heads to Charlotte
Third baseman Bryan Ramos ran through more drills and field work, getting a green light to begin a rehab assignment for his left quad strain. Charlotte is off Monday, so Ramos’ first game action will be Tuesday. Ramos could come off the 10-day inured as soon as Saturday.
“He’s ready to go,” Grifol said. “It took about three to five days, kind of as expected. We just didn’t have the depth to go short [and not put him on the IL].”
Robert Jr. injury update
Robert (hip flexor strain) is still awaiting his first game action at the White Sox’ Arizona complex in Glendale.
“We anticipate some game action later this week,” general manager Chris Getz said Sunday. “He seems to have turned the corner and is trending well.”
