White Sox complete final road trip with 6-1 loss to Yankees

NEW YORK — Erik Johnson kept putting runners on base — with a little help from his sloppy teammates — then kept wriggling out of the jams. Eventually, his good fortune ran out.

Dustin Ackley homered in the sixth to spark New York’s late-waking offense and Luis Severino pitched five-hit ball for six innings Sunday as the Yankees moved closer to a playoff berth with a 6-1 victory over the White Sox.

Brian McCann had a sacrifice fly in the first inning off Johnson (3-1) that was set up by a leadoff walk and first baseman Jose Abreu’s errors on consecutive plays, the second two-error game of Abreu’s major league career.

The Yankees repeatedly wasted chances against Johnson, who was making his fifth start this season. New York was 0 for 9 with RISP through four innings.

“You just have to grind ’em out and keep throwing up zeroes as best you can,” Johnson said. “Definitely against that offense you have to fill up the zone with a lot of quality pitches. They don’t chase a whole lot and they make you throw the ball over the plate.”

Johnson gave up seven hits and three runs — two earned — in 5 2/3 innings. He walked four and struck out five.

The White Sox (73-83) went 4-7 on a road trip through Cleveland (1-2), Detroit (2-2) and New York (1-3) and finished their road schedule 36-45, three wins better than last season. They’ve lost five of their last six games.

Severino (5-3) induced three double plays in shutting down the White Sox in his 10th big league start, helping the Yankees cut their magic number for clinching at least a wild card to three and move within one of the franchise’s 10,000th regular-season victory.

“You know he’s got a fastball, but any time he got in a hitter’s count he could go with his secondary stuff and throw it for a strike and it’s not average secondary stuff, too,” manager Robin Ventura said. “It’s pretty good.”

Severino got into trouble in the fifth, when the White Sox got a pair of leadoff singles, and in the sixth, when Chicago put two on with one out. Each time the 21-year-old rookie got a double play to get out of it.

Melky Cabrera grounded to shortstop Didi Gregorius on Severino’s 99th and final pitch for an inning-ending double play. Cabrera also ended the first with a grounder to Gregorius for another DP.

“He has a ton of talent,” Abreu said of Severino through a translator. “He’s a very good pitcher and I just wish the best for him. He was very good today.”

The crowd of 38,690 on a crisp September afternoon pushed attendance at Yankee Stadium over 3 million for the 17th straight year (3,036,446) with four home dates left. With New York going 3 for 19 with runners in scoring position, the Bronx ballpark was absent of much late-season buzz.

Ackley had a drive into the second deck in right leading off the sixth to make it 2-0. He has 11 hits in his last 28 at-bats (.392), putting himself in contention for a postseason roster spot.

“I think he’s healthy and he’s made some slight adjustments,” manager Joe Girard said. “He’s worked really hard and got himself in the mix.”

Justin Wilson gave up a homer to pinch-hitter Avisail Garcia the seventh.

The Yankees repeatedly wasted chances against Johnson, who was making his fifth start this season. New York was 0 for 9 with RISP through four innings.

“Any time he got in a tough spot, he was getting guys to pop up, he really bowed his neck and he got through it,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said.

Ackley with a drive into the second deck in right leading off the sixth to make it 2-0. He has 11 hits in his last 28 at-bats (.392), putting himself in contention for a postseason roster spot.

Slade Heathcott scored on a passed ball in the sixth, and Jacoby Ellsbury had an RBI single in the seventh. Greg Bird drove in one in the eighth with a single and Heathcott had a sacrifice fly.

Severino got into trouble in the fifth, when the White Sox got a pair of leadoff singles, and in the sixth when Chicago put two on with one out. Each time the 21-year-old rookie got a double play to get out of it.

Melky Cabrera grounded to shortstop Didi Gregorius on Severino’s 99th and final pitch for an inning-ending double play. Cabrera also ended the first with a grounder to Gregorius for another DP.

TRAINING ROOM

White Sox: DH Adam LaRoche (sore right knee) was out of the lineup after playing Saturday. He played every other game in this series after sitting from Sept. 13 to Thursday’s series opener.

Yankees: Masahiro Tanaka (right hamstring) threw in the outfield and said “I don’t have a problem throwing a ball.” Tanaka is set to do fielding drills Monday. Manager Joe Girardi said Thursday would be the cutoff day to get Tanaka one more start before he gets the ball in a potential wild-card game Oct. 6. Otherwise, Tanaka could get an inning or two next weekend to prepare him for the one-game playoff.

UP NEXT

White Sox: Off day Monday. RHP Jeff Samardzija (10-13), who faces the Royals at U.S. Cellular Field Tuesday, is coming off a one-hit shutout at Detroit, but he’s 0-3 with an 8.15 ERA in three starts against Kansas City this season.

Yankees: RHP Ivan Nova (6-9), recently dropped from the rotation in his return from Tommy John surgery, will make a spot start as New York switches Sox and hosts Boston. Nova was 1-5 in his last six starts. Opponents were batting .301 against him in that span.

ChicagoABRHBIBBSOAvg.Eaton dh301010.283Abreu 1b402001.290Me.Cabrera lf401000.275Tr.Thompson cf400000.294Shuck rf201000.276a-Av.Garcia ph-rf211101.260Olt 3b301001.215Brantly c200000.160b-Ge.Soto ph-c100000.222C.Sanchez 2b300000.226Saladino ss300001.231Totals3117114New YorkABRHBIBBSOAvg.Ellsbury cf412110.262Gardner lf401011.260Beltran dh401010.2752-Noel pr-dh010000—B.McCann c400103.237Bird 1b422102.250Ackley 2b411101.230Headley 3b101000.263Gregorius ss401011.267Heathcott rf312110.391B.Ryan 3b201011.225c-A.Rodriguez ph101000.2511-Refsnyder pr-2b100001.261Totals366135610Chicago000000100—173New York10000212x—6131a-homered for Shuck in the 7th. b-flied out for Brantly in the 7th. c-singled for B.Ryan in the 7th.

1-ran for A.Rodriguez in the 7th. 2-ran for Beltran in the 8th.

E_D.Webb (1), Abreu 2 (11), L.Severino (1). LOB_Chicago 4, New York 15. 2B_Eaton (26), Me.Cabrera (35), Bird (8), Headley (29), Gregorius (23). HR_Av.Garcia (13), off Ju.Wilson; Ackley (9), off E.Johnson. RBIs_Av.Garcia (59), Ellsbury (33), B.McCann (92), Bird (29), Ackley (26), Heathcott (7). CS_Shuck (5), Heathcott (1). SF_B.McCann, Heathcott.

Runners left in scoring position_Chicago 4 (Tr.Thompson, C.Sanchez, Me.Cabrera, Abreu); New York 10 (Ackley 3, Gardner 4, B.McCann 2, Refsnyder). RISP_Chicago 0 for 5; New York 3 for 19.

GIDP_Me.Cabrera 2, Brantly.

DP_New York 4 (Gregorius, Bird), (B.McCann, B.McCann, Ackley), (Bird, Gregorius, L.Severino), (Gregorius, Bird).

ChicagoIPHRERBBSONPERAE.Johnson L, 3-152-3732451213.45Putnam121113254.02Da.Jennings1-31000024.05D.Webb1-332211165.59Carroll2-30000193.58New YorkIPHRERBBSONPERAL.Severino W, 5-3650012992.77Ju.Wilson H, 29111100263.20Betances H, 29110001191.34Mitchell100001115.60Inherited runners-scored_Putnam 3-0, Da.Jennings 3-1, Carroll 3-1. HBP_by E.Johnson (Bird). WP_E.Johnson. PB_Brantly.

Umpires_Home, Brian O’Nora; First, Mark Ripperger; Second, Alan Porter; Third, Sam Holbrook.

T_3:20. A_38,690 (49,638).

How they scored:

Yankees first. Ellsbury walked on four pitches. Gardner safe at first on Abreu’s error, Ellsbury to second. Beltran safe at first on Abreu’s error, Ellsbury to third, Gardner to second. B.McCann hit a sacrifice fly to right fielder Shuck, Ellsbury scored, Gardner to third. Bird struck out. Ackley flied out to right fielder Shuck.

1 run, 0 hits, 2 errors, 2 left on. Yankees 1, White Sox 0

Yankees sixth. Ackley homered to right on a 2-2 count. Gregorius popped out to third baseman Olt. Heathcott singled to center. B.Ryan singled to left, Heathcott to third. Ellsbury fouled out to third baseman Olt. Gardner walked, B.Ryan to second. On Brantly’s passed ball, Heathcott scored, B.Ryan to third, Gardner to second. Beltran walked on four pitches. . Putnam pitching. B.McCann struck out.

2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 3 left on. Yankees 3, White Sox 0

White Sox seventh. Wilson pitching. T.Thompson popped out to right fielder Heathcott. Av.Garcia pinch-hitting for Shuck. Av.Garcia homered to center on a 2-2 count. Olt flied out to center fielder Ellsbury. Ge.Soto pinch-hitting for Brantly. Ge.Soto flied out to left fielder Gardner.

1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 left on. Yankees 3, White Sox 1

Yankees seventh. Av.Garcia in as right fielder. Ge.Soto in as catcher. Bird doubled to center. Ackley struck out. Gregorius struck out. Heathcott walked on a full count. A.Rodriguez pinch-hitting for B.Ryan. A.Rodriguez infield single to shortstop, Bird to third, Heathcott to second. . Da.Jennings pitching. Refsnyder pinch-running for A.Rodriguez. Ellsbury singled to left, Bird scored, Heathcott to third, Refsnyder to second. Gardner flied out to left fielder Me.Cabrera.

1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 3 left on. Yankees 4, White Sox 1

Yankees eighth. D.Webb pitching. Beltran singled to right. Noel pinch-running for Beltran. On D.Webb’s error on a pickoff attempt, Noel to third. B.McCann struck out, catcher Ge.Soto to first baseman Abreu. Bird singled to center, Noel scored. Headley doubled to right, Bird to third. Gregorius walked. . Carroll pitching. Heathcott hit a sacrifice fly to center fielder T.Thompson, Bird scored. Refsnyder struck out.

2 runs, 3 hits, 1 error, 2 left on. Yankees 6, White Sox 1.