While Kuroda was the story for the Yankees once again through the first seven innings, the Yankees offense rewrote all the headlines in the 8th when they put together a five-run inning to come all the way back to defeat the White Sox, 6-4.
"It was a great comeback," Nunez said. "We all fought together."
With Chris Sale still in the game to start the 8th, he struck out Brett Gardner, then gave up a single and a two-strike double to Robinson Cano, setting up runners on the 2nd and 3rd with one away. Sale was then removed from the game, then Alfonso Soriano singled to score two runs, pulling the Yankees back to within a run, making it a 4-3 game.
"Sale has been extremely tough on us," manager Joe Girardi said. "He was tough on us there, but Robbie gets that big double that gets him out of the game, and then guys just put great at-bats on the relievers. That's a huge win."
After Alex Rodriguez singled, moving Soriano to third base, Curtis Granderson, pinch-hitting for Vernon Wells, singled to center field to score A-Rod and tie up the ballgame. Mark Reynolds struck out for the second out of the inning, then Eduardo Nunez earned his pinstriped by lining a two-run double into the left field corner, giving up the Yankees a 6-4 lead.
The five-run 8th inning go Kuroda off the hook, who gave up four-runs in 6 1/3 innings. The White Sox jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead off Kuroda in the 1st inning on an RBI single by Adam Dunn. Nunez was a big part of the inning after letting a double play ball knocked off his glove.
Kuroda escaped with the bases loaded in the 1st, letting only one run score in an inning that could have been much worse. From there, he began to settle down a little, but lost it again in the 5th when a two-run triple to Alexei Ramirez gave the Sox a 3-1 lead.
Alejandro De Aza extended Chicago's lead with a solo homerun off Kuroda in the 7th, ending his night after 6 1/2, permitting four runs on seven hits, while walking two and striking out seven on 95 pitches.
"I thought his stuff was better tonight," Girardi said. "The top of the order has been tough on him, and they were tough on him again tonight. But I thought his stuff was better, and that's a good sign for me."
True story, the Yankees first run of the game came in the second inning, when , with Wells on third and Nunez on first, Nunez took off towards second, with Wells breaking towards home and reaching safely to score, stealing home in the process.
Mariano Rivera entered the game in the 9th, and he shut down the White Sox in order, striking out Leury Garcia to end the game for his 40th save of the season -- the 9th time in his career that he's recorded at least 40 saves.
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