Lance Lynn Makes First Start As New York Takes On Chicago

After being swept by their American League East rival the Boston Redsox at Fenway Park New York will now head to Chicago to take on the Chicago White Sox who are a member of the American League Central who current New York reliever David Robertson played for from 2015-2017 before being traded back to New York also in 2017.

New York comes into the opener of this three -game series with a record of 68-42  and is second in the American League East while Chicago meanwhile comes into the opener with a record of 41-70 and is fourth  in the American League Central. "according to http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/standings/index.jsp?c_id=nyy

Lance Lynn who was recently acquired from Minnesota will make his first start in the rotation in the opener. The right -hander comes into the game with a record of 7-8 with a 4.89 earn run average. "according to http://m.mlb.com/player/458681/lance-lynn Lynn makes his first start in pinstripes in the opener in Chicago. He relieved Sonny Gray against the Orioles on Wednesday, tossing 4 1/3 scoreless innings in his Yankees debut, and was then moved into the starting rotation. "according to http://mlb.mlb.com/news/probable_pitchers/index.jsp?c_id=nyy He will oppose Chicago Dylan Covey who comes into the game with a record of 4-7 with a 5.57 earn run average. "according to http://m.mlb.com/player/592229/dylan-covey

Covey’s struggles have extended over his last eight starts, with an 8.68 ERA and 1-6 record during that stretch. Covey gave up 46 hits and 22 walks over 37 1/3 innings, striking out 18 and yielding eight homers. His ERA has risen from 2.29 to 5.57. "according to http://mlb.mlb.com/news/probable_pitchers/index.jsp?c_id=nyy

As for New York's previous game, they not only lost to Boston but they got swept by their rival. 

In the wee hours of Monday morning, the Yankees left Fenway Park 9 1/2 games out of first place in the American League East. Sunday night's 5-4 defeat in 10 innings sealed the Red Sox's first four-game sweep of the Yankees since 2016 and just the seventh in the last 100 years. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-swept-after-aroldis-chapman-blows-save/c-289061864

It's a tough way, obviously, to end a tough weekend, but we can't let this define what's been a great season for us," said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-swept-after-aroldis-chapman-blows-save/c-289061864

Facing Jonathan Holder, Boston's Andrew Benintendi singled home pinch-runner Tony Renda in the bottom of the 10th inning after the game had turned for good the inning prior. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-swept-after-aroldis-chapman-blows-save/c-289061864

Manager Aaron Boone had set up his bullpen in textbook fashion, with the urgency that goes along with a season-defining game. He'd gotten 4 2/3 effective innings from Masahiro Tanaka before he turned the ball over to David Robertson, Zach Britton, Dellin Betances and Aroldis Chapman. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-swept-after-aroldis-chapman-blows-save/c-289061864

Robertson, Britton and Betances did their jobs, but the hard-throwing Chapman couldn't harness his heat. With the Yankees leading, 4-1, after a four-run seventh, he walked Sandy Leon, Mookie Betts and Steve Pearce to load the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, and then, after J.D. Martinez hit a two-run single, an errant throw by Miguel Andujar on a Xander Bogaerts ground ball allowed pinch-runner Jackie Bradley Jr. to score the tying run. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-swept-after-aroldis-chapman-blows-save/c-289061864

It was Chapman's first blown save since May 4 after he'd converted 22 straight save opportunities. He has allowed three earned runs in two of his last five outings. Of the 12 runs he's allowed this season, six have come since July 21. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-swept-after-aroldis-chapman-blows-save/c-289061864

"Just a bad outing," Chapman said. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-swept-after-aroldis-chapman-blows-save/c-289061864

For a time it looked as though the Yankees would be leaving with a come-from-behind win. Red Sox starter David Price yielded a leadoff single to Brett Gardner in the seventh inning and then walked Austin Romine, prompting the Red Sox to go to their bullpen. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-swept-after-aroldis-chapman-blows-save/c-289061864

Next up for the injury-depleted Yankees was Shane Robinson, who had dropped a sacrifice bunt in his previous at-bat. Robinson stepped to the plate against Boston reliever Heath Hembree intending to do the same, but Hembree buzzed him up around the head three times and ended up issuing a free pass. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-swept-after-aroldis-chapman-blows-save/c-289061864

That wasn't the only gift the Red Sox handed the Yankees. Aaron Hicks went down to get a two-strike fastball at the knees and rolled what looked like a harmless ground ball to shortstop. Bogaerts misplayed it, and by the time he tracked it down, Gardner and Romine had scored the tying and go-ahead runs, respectively. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-swept-after-aroldis-chapman-blows-save/c-289061864

Robinson and Hicks both scored insurance runs later in the inning -- Robinson on a Giancarlo Stanton single, Hicks on a Gleyber Torres sacrifice fly. At that point the insurance runs looked like they'd be enough. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-swept-after-aroldis-chapman-blows-save/c-289061864

All the Yankees can do now is press on, though the task ahead is more than formidable. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-swept-after-aroldis-chapman-blows-save/c-289061864

"We're going to keep at it," Chapman said. "We're going to keep playing ball. There's no looking back. We lost these four games. We've got to put it away and move forward and keep playing, keep at it." "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-swept-after-aroldis-chapman-blows-save/c-289061864

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
The Yankees beat up on Price twice earlier this season and had a chance to get to him early on Sunday night, too, but the moment slipped away. A single, a hit batter and another single loaded the bases with two outs for New York in the first inning, but Luke Voit rolled a checked-swing ground ball back to Price for the third out of the inning. The Yankees wouldn't score their first run until after Price had left the game, though two of the runs were ultimately charged to Price. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-swept-after-aroldis-chapman-blows-save/c-289061864

SOUND SMART
Tanaka matched a season high with nine strikeouts despite not finishing the fifth inning. The last Yankees pitcher to strike out nine or more without finishing the fifth? Tanaka, of course, who struck out 10 in four innings on June 17, 2017. "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/yankees-swept-after-aroldis-chapman-blows-save/c-289061864

As for Chicago's previous game, they not only edged Tampa Bay but they swept them in the process. 

The White Sox picked up their first four-game winning streak of the season, their first three-game sweep since Aug. 8-10, 2017, against the Astros and their first road sweep since April 25-27, 2016, in Toronto -- courtesy of Daniel Palka's 439-foot blast in the ninth inning of an 8-7 victory over Tampa Bay on Sunday at Tropicana Field.

Rays reliever Diego Castillo had retired the first two hitters in the ninth before Jose Abreu singled to left and Palka connected on a 96.2-mph first-pitch fastball for his 17th home run of the season. Palka had struck out in each of his first four at-bats before the ninth. Hector Santiago earned the win as the White Sox fifth reliever, despite giving up one run in the bottom of the ninth. "according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/white-sox-win-on-daniel-palka-homer/c-289007866

"I was jokingly saying it earlier -- just trying to make contact," Palka said. "But that's really what I was doing. Just had to forget the first eight-ninths of the game and move on from there." "according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/white-sox-win-on-daniel-palka-homer/c-289007866

"It's pretty impressive to watch. His work ethic is phenomenal every day," said White Sox starting pitcher James Shields of Palka. "He comes to the ballpark and gets his work in. To see the results that he's doing in a game is a testament to what he's done." "according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/white-sox-win-on-daniel-palka-homer/c-289007866

Shields, who was honored this weekend as part of the 2008 American League champion Rays, allowed two earned runs (four total) over six innings, striking out six and walking four against his old team. Shields left with a 6-4 lead but finished with a no-decision, meaning he has not won on the road since Opening Day against the Royals. "according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/white-sox-win-on-daniel-palka-homer/c-289007866

After the 114-pitch effort, Shields admitted to having nothing early and no feel for the baseball over the first four innings. He found a rhythm in his last two frames on the mound. "according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/white-sox-win-on-daniel-palka-homer/c-289007866

"We ended up getting it done," Shields said. "Good win." "according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/white-sox-win-on-daniel-palka-homer/c-289007866

The White Sox carried a 6-4 lead into the seventh on the strength of two home runs fromAvisail Garcia , giving him 12 long balls in his last 28 games. Tim Anderson also knocked out two hits and drove in two, while catcher Dustin Garneau , replacing Kevan Smith who is on the paternity list for the birth of his son, picked up his first single and first RBI with the White Sox. "according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/white-sox-win-on-daniel-palka-homer/c-289007866

But the relief tandem of Xavier Cedeno  and Jeanmar Gomez  could not hold the lead in the seventh. Gomez managed to strike out pinch-hitter C.J. Cron with the bases loaded and nobody out but then gave up a two-run single to Ji Man- Choi to tie the game."according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/white-sox-win-on-daniel-palka-homer/c-289007866

Ultimately the White Sox prevailed, taking the season series from the Rays, 4-2. Palka pulverized the opposition as the finishing touch, just as he did as a pinch-hitter on Thursday against the Royals to start the streak. "according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/white-sox-win-on-daniel-palka-homer/c-289007866

"The second half has been pretty strong," said Palka of the 41-70 White Sox. "I don't think it's ultimately as good as we actually are. Some things haven't come together, but it's been a good start to the second half." "according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/white-sox-win-on-daniel-palka-homer/c-289007866

"Over the weekend and the past week, we've been playing some good baseball overall," Shields said. "The guys are really putting it together." "according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/white-sox-win-on-daniel-palka-homer/c-289007866

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
No room for wildness: With the bases loaded, one out and the game tied in the seventh, both Brandon Lowe and pinch-hitter Carlos Gomez worked the count full against White Sox relievers. Jace Frystruck out Lowe for the second out, and Tyler Danish retired Gomez on a grounder to second baseman Yon Moncada to end the threat."according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/white-sox-win-on-daniel-palka-homer/c-289007866

LEURY EXITS EARLY
Leury Gomez , who started in center field Sunday, left the game in the ninth with left hamstring soreness. He will be re-evaluated Monday, as Adam Endgel replaced him defensively. White Sox manager Rick Renteria said Garcia hurt himself while making the catch on a Matt Duffy flyout in the eighth. "according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/white-sox-win-on-daniel-palka-homer/c-289007866

Eloy Jimenez , the White Sox top prospect per MLB Pipeline and No. 3. overall was scratched from Sunday's lineup for Triple-A Charlotte. But sources tell MLB.com that Jimenez was held out of the lineup with flu-like symptoms. "according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/white-sox-win-on-daniel-palka-homer/c-289007866

HE SAID IT
"This whole weekend was really special for me personally. To be able to come see the boys from 2008, celebrate that, it's a good moment in our careers. To be able to have Tampa do that for us was pretty special." -- Shields "according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/white-sox-win-on-daniel-palka-homer/c-289007866

First pitch is set for 8:10pm from Guaranteed Rate Field . The game will be televised on ESPN and Yes. . "according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/schedule/2018-08