CHICAGO — Having failed to provide ninth-inning lightning for the second consecutive game, the Yankees were left to answer why Chris Sale dominated them.
In his first game since April 17 because of a stint on the disabled list thanks to a strained flexor muscle in his lethal left arm, Sale allowed one base runner — Zoilo Almonte’s two-out single in the sixth — and pitched the White Sox to a 3-2 victory in front of an announced crowd of 21,677 at U.S. Cellular Field Thursday night.
“He was nasty, he didn’t give us anything to hit,’’ said Mark Teixeira, who was one of Sale’s 10 strikeout victims and his third of the first inning after Jacoby Ellsbury and Derek Jeter whiffed in front of him. “That was the best I have ever seen him.’’
Sale retired the first 17 Yankees before Almonte hit a 1-1 pitch to center field to spoil the perfect game and keep White Sox manager Robin Ventura away from the dilemma of leaving Sale in the game or removing him while a perfect game was in play.
“He pitched like he could pitch,’’ Alfonso Soriano said. “He had a very good fastball and slider. We have to give the credit to him.’’
Because David Phelps allowed two runs in seven innings, the Yankees had a chance in the ninth against Ronald Belisario, who arrived to protect a 3-0 lead.
Pinch-hitter Ichiro Suzuki singled with one out and Jeter walked with two gone. Teixeira singled them in to cut the deficit to 3-2 and bring Soriano to the plate.
On a 3-2 pitch, the free-swinging Soriano believed he took the fourth ball and went to remove his shin guard before taking first. But umpire Tom Woodring called the pitch, which appeared to be up and in off the plate, a strike to end the game.
“It was up and in. I know umpires have a tough job to do, it’s not easy being an umpire but that ball was up and in,’’ Soriano said. “I never say nothing to the umpires. We watched the replay to make sure it was a bad call but there is nothing you can do.’’
Brendan Ryan, who started at short with Jeter the designated hitter, said Woodring’s strike zone wasn’t consistent.
“If you are going to call it down stick to that,’’ Ryan said. “You can’t have it both ways. When it’s both it makes you a different hitter.’’
Phelps went seven innings, allowed two runs, five hits, walked one and struck out eight.
Yet, because Sale dominated, the solid outing was ruined by two runs in the second inning after Phelps retired the first two hitters.
“I was happy with the way I threw but it’s frustrating to give up three hits with two outs,’’ said Phelps (1-1). “It’s annoying. I have to do a better job with two outs. It’s unacceptable.’’
Knowing that lefty hitters were 0-for-20 before Sale went on the DL, Yankees manager Joe Girardi didn’t start Brian McCann, Brett Gardner and Ichiro Suzuki against the left-hander, who improved to 3-0 with a 0.39 ERA in his fourth start against the Yankees. Ellsbury, the only lefty Sale faced, struck out three times against him.
“He has been tough against us for a few years,’’ Girardi said. “One hit in six innings, we weren’t able to do too much. He looked sharp, not rusty to me.’’