CHICAGO -- The calendar read July 27 for the series opener between the White Sox and Yankees, even though Santa and The Grinch were in attendance Monday at Rate Field for a Christmas in July promotion.
But for the White Sox, it might as well have been October.
Their 9-5 loss to the Yankees begins a stretch of 13 straight games against current American League playoff teams, with three at the Rays and Red Sox and three at home against the Guardians following this four-game set.
It’s a postseason test before the postseason hopefully comes around for the young AL Central leaders.
“One of the biggest things we can do is think of these as playoff games,” said White Sox designated hitter Colson Montgomery, who had three hits and two RBIs Monday. “These are the type of teams that we have coming up -- teams that are going to be in the playoffs.
“We can shift our mind into thinking it’s a playoff game. It’s a little gauntlet with the teams we face.”
Montgomery probably would have been playing shortstop if this regular season game took place a little over two months from now. But after fouling two pitches off the same general area of his right shin during the past week, costing him two games, Montgomery returned without the glove Monday.
“I could 100 percent have played shortstop. We had those conversations,” Montgomery said. “They thought this was the best thing to do for the team. I don’t mind DHing, but I don’t really want to DH just because I want to be out on the field and playing short.
“That’s definitely a different kind of schedule, you have a lot more time to relax. I have to find a way to lock back in, in the cage, do something game-like.”
After Chicago took a 3-0 lead in the first inning against Max Fried, the Yankees (60-46) rallied for four in the fourth off Noah Schultz and reliever Chris Murphy to go back ahead. Schultz started strong, striking out three of the four hitters he faced in the first and finishing with five strikeouts and two walks over his 72 pitches.
Schultz’s two walks to open the fourth and the Yankees ultimately battling in the count against him despite not making great contact produced an exit after 3 1/3 innings for the 6-foot-10 southpaw.
“Yeah, he was in a really good spot there,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “The first three innings, all the strikeouts were full counts where they were really working him. Then there in the fourth, just a bunch of traffic. Thought it was time to move on.”
“Just a little gassed out,” Schultz said. “I wouldn't say it was a specific moment that I did. Obviously I was good the first time through the lineup. Just unfortunate that it didn't happen a second time through."
Growing pains will exist for a 22-year-old making his 13th big league start. That’s part of the latest rebuild process employed by general manager Chris Getz and his staff.
This White Sox squad also sits at 55-50 overall, in the midst of a 1-3 homestand, and holds a two-game lead in the AL Central standings over the Guardians , who were rained out on Monday. Winning clearly is more important than the development at this point. So where does that leave Schultz and his 6.15 ERA?
“We’ll evaluate what we think is the best thing for us, and we'll continue with that process,” Venable said of Schultz’s rotation status. “I thought that was a step forward for Noah. Really good there for the three innings, and maybe he gets through that there in the fourth if I leave him in there. But I thought he did a nice job. We'll talk about it moving forward just like we do every time.”
“If you don't have full confidence in yourself, you shouldn't be pitching,” Schultz said. “It's something that -- regardless of outcomes -- if you don't have confidence, you shouldn't be getting the ball. I never have low confidence in myself. I think there's always things to work on.”
Three errors didn’t help the White Sox victory effort Monday, nor did Montgomery getting thrown out at the plate on a typically aggressive send as he tried to score from first on Chase Meidroth’s double, which kept it at a 5-4 game to end the seventh. It’s part of the learning experience the White Sox will take from this next stretch, with a desire to add more wins to that knowledge.
“They are a veteran team. They are not going to go away,” Montgomery said of the Yankees. “You know they are going to stay on the gas pedal. It’s what we have learned when we play really good teams and older teams.”