Lopez, Engel shine, but Sox fall
For the second start in a row, White Sox right-hander Reynaldo Lopez was excellent.
For the second night in a row, center fielder Adam Engel was spectacular.
That was well before Jose Abreu and the Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton were dramatic with the long ball, Stanton cracking a two-run homer against Tyler Danish to break a 1-1 tie in the top of the 10th inning and Abreu blasting a two-run homer against lefty Zach Britton in the bottom of the frame.
The Yankees (70-42) ended up winning 4-3 in 13 innings when Miguel Andujar, who homered back in the seventh inning to tie it against Lopez, hit a grounder through the left side against lefty Luis Avilan that scored Didi Gregorious.
Abreu, who hit his 20th homer, became the first player in baseball this season to hit a tying homer with two outs in an extra inning, and the first Sox to do so since A.J. Pierzynski in 2011 against the Nationals. It was Abreu’s first career homer in extra innings.
“Tough game tonight against a really good ballclub,’’ manager Rick Renteria said. “The guys kept battling. Hopefully we’ll come back and keep fighting.’’
A no-hitter Lopez took into the sixth inning of the game was kept alive when Engel leaped high to take a home run away from the Yankees’ Kyle Higashioka in the fifth. On Monday, Engel also jumped above the yellow line atop the outfield wall to steal a homer from the Yankees’ Greg Bird.
Yankees lefty CC Sabathia, reaching double digits in strikeouts for the 39th time in his career, allowed a sacrifice fly to Abreu in the third inning. The lead held until Andujar’s leadoff homer in the seventh inning against Lopez. Sabathia struck out 12 in 5‰ innings of one-run ball.
Lopez went seven innings against the Yankees, allowing a run on four hits and two walks. He struck out six and lowered his ERA to 4.30.
Yoan Moncada went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts, raising his season total to 161 and dropping his average to .217. He was called out on strikes two times.
“At some point you hit a point of frustration where you say, ‘I have to start swinging at pitches,’ ’’ Renteria said. “I think he’s finally reached that point.’’
Abreu on the defense
Abreu, not Gold Glove caliber but playing a solid first base of late, thanked bench coach Joe McEwing for working with him on pre-pitch positioning and keeping his feet moving and ready to field. He set a goal after last season to be better defensively.
“I heard a lot of people saying my defense wasn’t good enough, and I said, ‘You know what? I don’t think that’s true. I’m going to work hard to prove that they are wrong and I can be a very good defender at first base.’ ”
Eloy watch
Top outfield prospect Eloy Jimenez sat out Class AAA Charlotte’s game Tuesday with flu-like symptoms. Jimenez also missed Saturday’s game for the same reason. Charlotte was idle Monday.