NEW YORK — While Brad Keller was getting bombed by the Bombers, White Sox hitters were getting whiffed a season-high 16 times.
The result? A flailing 6-1 loss Saturday at Yankee Stadium, the Sox’ second in the first two games of their series, dropping them to 14-32.
Keller, getting a start after Michael Soroka was demoted to the bullpen, gave up a career-high four homers, including two to Juan Soto. Giancarlo Stanton and Jose Trevino also went deep, giving the Yankees, who’ve won 12 of 14 and lead the American League with a 32-15 record, a 5-1 lead in the third.
The Sox had their chance against Luis Gil in the first inning after Andrew Benintendi’s check-swing double scored Tommy Pham and Paul DeJong’s walk loaded the bases, but Korey Lee struck out for the first of three times.
“That was a crucial inning for us because we needed to put a crooked number on the board there,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “We didn’t. We have to do a better job of putting the ball in play.”
Gil had 14 strikeouts, setting the Yankees’ rookie record, topping the 13 on Aug. 13, 1998, by former Sox righty Orlando Hernandez, who threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Keller (0-2, 4.86 ERA) entered with a 2.84 ERA in four appearances.
“You’ve got to keep the ball in the yard,” Keller said. “That goes for anywhere in baseball. Fortunately, they were solos, but obviously no one ever wants to give up homers, let alone four in a game.”
Keller said his stuff was good, but he “made some mistakes.” He allowed seven hits and walked one in four-plus innings. He struck out four and said he didn’t notice Soto admiring his second blast and flipping his bat.
“I was more frustrated about the pitch and giving up a second homer in that situation,” he said.
Soroka much better
Soroka mopped up for Keller and had a season-high seven strikeouts in four scoreless innings in the second relief appearance of his career. What did it tell him?
“That I have it,” said the former Braves All-Star, who had a 6.39 ERA in nine starts. “I knew it was still there. Glimpses of it at the end of last year. It’s a different game when I know I have mid-90s [velocity] in the tank instead of reaching back for [92 and 93 mph]. It puts a hitter on [his] heels.”
Ramos progressing
A day after landing on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to May 15), third baseman Bryan Ramos ran sprints in the outfield and took ground balls, and he will head to Triple-A Charlotte in the next day or two on a rehab assignment. He could return from his left quadriceps strain next Saturday.
“We thought it was going to be three to five days; it’s looking more like three than five,” Grifol said.
Ramos batted .281/.294/.344 and played sound defense in 10 games after getting called up from Double-A Birmingham.
“There’s a level of confidence he’s going to be heading down there with,” Grifol said. “It’s going to be interesting to see. He performed really well at the big-league level. Go down there, get right, do the rehab and get back up.
“It didn’t look like he was fazed in any facet of the game — baserunning, defense. I mean, he played good baseball.”
