White Sox 8, Yankees 1
CHICAGO -- Hours after being suspended by Major League Baseball, Alex Rodriguez went 1-for-4 Monday in his first game of the season during the New York Yankees' 8-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox.
Rodriguez was suspended for 211 games for his involvement with the Biogenesis clinic, and he has three days to appeal. Rodriguez, who activated from the disabled list before the game after sitting out due to hip surgery and then a quadriceps injury, was lustily booed before each at-bat and when he ran onto the field before the game at U.S. Cellular Field.
Fans in the left-field corner held up a large banner that said "A-ROID," and another banner read "211," referencing the length of Rodriguez's suspension.
Batting cleanup and playing third base, Rodriguez hit a bloop single to left in his first at-bat, leading off the second inning. In the fourth, he flied out to deep center. His drive with one out in the sixth was caught on the warning track. In his final at-bat in the eighth, Rodriguez was called out against Matt Lindstrom, drawing a loud cheer from the Chicago crowd that had been chanting "A-Roid!"
Unlike 12 other players linked to Biogenesis, which MLB maintains supplied performance-enhancing drugs, Rodriguez is not accepting his suspension, the latest turn in what was once a shining career.
In just the last year alone, Rodriguez has been benched during the postseason, undergone a hip operation, fought with the Yankees over his future, and been a focus of one of sports' biggest drug investigations.
Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli, on the DL since April 27, was one of a dozen players who accepted his 50-game suspensions for their involvement with Biogenesis.
New York also placed shortstop Derek Jeter on the DL due to a right calf strain.
Even with Rodriguez in the lineup, the Yankees were routed by the White Sox, who had lost 10 straight and hadn't scored eight or more runs in a game since July 20.
Andy Pettitte (7-9) allowed three runs in the first on RBI singles by Alex Rios and Gordon Beckham plus a sacrifice fly by Adam Dunn. Rios added a two-run single in the second inning.
Alexei Ramirez's third-inning single pushed the lead to 6-0. Pettitte then loaded the bases and was relieved by Preston Claiborne, who walked Rios to give Chicago a 7-0 lead.
Pettitte, who hasn't won in his last three starts, gave up seven runs and 11 hits in 2 2/3 innings, his shortest outing of the season. The 11 hits also matched a season high.
Jose Quintana, who had one win since May 21, struck out five while allowing eight hits and one run in 6 2/3 innings. Quintana (6-3) had received six runs of support in his previous four starts and he had no-decisions in 14 of his first 22 starts this season, the most in baseball.
Chicago (41-69) started Monday 29 games below .500 for the first time since ending the 1976 season 64-97. The White Sox had also lost 10 straight for the first since June 1976.
Ramirez had four hits, and Rios drove in four runs.
New York avoided the shutout thanks to Brett Gardner's seventh-inning sacrifice fly.
NOTES: The Yankees made a series of roster moves before Monday's game. Along with activating Rodriguez moved Jeter to the DL, they recalled INF David Adams and designated UT Brent Lillibridge for assignment. The Cubs also claimed OF Thomas Neal off waivers from the Yankees. ... White Sox LF Dayan Viciedo made a lunging try on a Robinson Cano single in the first, and he was replaced by PH Alejandro De Aza in the bottom of the inning. Viciedo left with a jammed left thumb and is listed as day-to-day after X-rays came back negative. ... Yankees veteran Vernon Wells made his first career start at first base. He had played in 1,699 games before Monday. ... On Tuesday, Yankees RHP Hiroki Kuroda (10-6, 2.38 ERA) will face Chicago LHP Chris Sale (6-11, 2.92).
