Missed chances and a late homer cost the Yankees in a 3-2 loss to White Sox

Chicago—The Yankees dropped the final game of this four-game set 3-2 to the White Sox. Luis Gil got the start for the Yankees and faced off against Martín Pérez.

Aaron Judge quickly got the scoring started in the top of the first inning, launching his 43rd home run of the season to make it a 1-0 Yankees lead. It was home run number 358 of Judge's career to tie 10-time World Series champion Yogi Berra on the Yankees ' all-time home run list in fifth. The top five Yankees home run list has not changed since 1957. 

"You know how much it meant being a New York Yankee to him,” Judge said. “I feel the same way. I'm honored to wear this jersey, so it's pretty cool to be on that list with him."

"It's company that he belongs in,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.. “When he came in through the dugout, I yelled Yogi out to him."

In the bottom of the first inning, Gil worked around a two-out base knock to put together a scoreless inning and recorded his first strikeout of the ballgame. 

Gil served up back-to-back doubles in the bottom of the second, one of these being an RBI double to Will Robertson to make it a 1-1 game. 

With two outs in the top of the third inning, Judge just missed his second home run of the game, crushing a double off the top of the wall in straightaway center field. Cody Bellinger followed that up with an RBI double to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead. The next batter, Giancarlo Stanton, was robbed of a two-run home run by former Yankee Mike Tauchman.

"You don't want to hit it there," Judge said on the robbery. "Anytime Tauchman is in center, he's in right, left doesn't matter. You know, it's the one guy you don't want to head it to. And I've seen him make a lot of impressive plays over the years, especially in pinstripes with us. And then even when he went to the Giants, and even here. I hated seeing it, to be honest, but, uh, that guy's a ball player." 

In the bottom of the third inning, two batters reached via a dropped third strike and a walk, but Gil picked up two strikeouts to help work into and out of trouble. 

Gil worked a nice, easy 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth inning thanks to a nice running catch from Anthony Volpe on a ball in no man's land. 

Gil retired the White Sox in order and recorded two more strikeouts in the bottom half of the fifth inning to put his total up to seven for the ballgame, making it nine straight batters retired for Gil. 

In the top of the sixth inning, Stanton led things off by reaching on a four-pitch walk, and a couple of batters later, Jazz reached on an E1. However, Volpe bounced into a double play to end the inning. 

Colson Montgomery tied the game up at 2-2in the bottom of the sixth inning with a solo home run. After a four-pitch walk from Gil, Fernando Cruz replaced him on the mound and induced a 3-6 double play to end the inning. 

Luis Gils' final line: 5.1 innings pitched, four hits allowed, two earned runs, two walks, 12 swings and misses, and seven strikeouts on 98 pitches. Gil threw his fastball over half the time at 53%, the slider 35%, and the changeup 12%. Gil was really good today; he had his strikeout stuff working and did a solid job of limiting the walks, even with a hitter-friendly home plate ump who did not do him any favors at times. 

"Yeah, I think something we've been working on is being in the strike zone and attacking the strike zone," Gil said. "And I think overall that's what has been helping me." 

In the top of the seventh inning, Trent Grisham, who was pinch-hitting for José Caballero, worked a one-out walk, but that would be all for the Yankees. 

Cruz remained in the game for the bottom of the seventh inning and worked a 1-2-3 inning with a pair of strikeouts. 

In the top of the eighth inning, Amed Rosario lined a two-out single to left field, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. followed that up with a walk. The next batter, Volpe, worked a four-pitch walk to load the bases for Ben Rice. Rice grounded out to strand the bases loaded. 

Tim Hill took over for Cruz in the bottom of the eighth inning and picked up the first two outs, then served up a solo home run to Lenyn Sosa, to give the White Sox a 3-2 lead. 

Grisham worked a leadoff walk in the top of the ninth inning, but Paul Dolschmidt, Judge, and Grisham couldn't get it done to end this one 3-2, and end the Yankees ' seven winning streak.

The Yankees will have an off day tomorrow, then start a huge series against the Astros in Houston on Tuesday. Max Fried will take the mound for the Yankees, and the Astros' starter is still TBD. The first pitch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. ET on the YES Network. 

My thoughts on the game: Unfortunately, the Red Sox and Blue Jays both won today, so the Yankees are now three games back of the Jays and just a half game ahead of the Sox. Gil looked really solid today, maybe his best start since returning from the IL. Cruz was excellent out of the bullpen today, picking up five big outs, but unfortunately, Hill, who has been great this year, gave up the winning run. Judge had a big day with three hits and a big home run, but unfortunately, what most Yankees fans will remember about this game is him popping up a hanging breaking ball in the ninth inning with a runner on base. On to Tuesday, as the Yankees will begin a 12-game gauntlet against the Astros, Blue Jays, Tigers, and Red Sox, that could make or break the Yankees' season. 

“That's what we want," Judge said. "It's coming down to the wire, we want to play the best team, especially getting down the stretch here into the postseason. This is what it's all about. You know, see what we're made of. Go out there, just keep playing our ball, and let's see what happens. But I like our chances, especially the way the boys have been swinging it, and you know the way our pitching staff, our starters have been rolling. Let's keep it going.”