CHICAGO — Nobody would call the Yankees an unstoppable force, but they certainly ran into an immovable object on Monday night.
The result?
Helping the White Sox in their quest to avoid infamy.
A blowout may have been expected in a game pitting the team that came into the night tied for the best record in baseball against the team that had the majors’ worst record (by 16 games) and was trying to avoid company with the 120-loss, 1962 Mets.
But it was the White Sox doing the drubbing, handing the Yankees an embarrassing 12-2 loss in front of 22,815 at Guaranteed Rate Field.
“Most of us have been around long enough to know that every night you set foot on a big league diamond, you’re capable of losing, you’re capable of winning,” manager Aaron Boone said before the game.
The Yankees (70-50) wasted plenty of prime chances early to do damage – on the way to going 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position and stranding 16 men on base – while the White Sox (29-91) pounded out 18 hits for a season-high 12 runs.