NEW YORK — Tim Anderson hit a three-run homer and then put a finger to his lips to silence fans booing and chanting “Jackie” at him, capping a tumultuous weekend at Yankee Stadium and helping the Chicago White Sox beat New York 5-0 Sunday night for a doubleheader sweep.
“What a day,” White Sox manager Tony La Russa said.
A day after Anderson, who is Black, said he was offended by Yankees slugger Josh Donaldson, who is white, calling him “Jackie,” the All-Star shortstop didn’t play in the first game. AJ Pollock hit a tiebreaking homer off Aroldis Chapman in the ninth inning as the White Sox won 3-1.
Anderson was jeered during pregame introductions and prior to each at-bat in the nightcap. He had already hit two singles when he homered over the right field wall with two outs in the eighth.
Anderson took a slow trot and put his hands to his lips in a shushing gesture as he rounded the bases. He clapped his hands several times upon crossing home plate and pointed skyward before again making a silencing motion.
After the game, Anderson declined all interview requests. Donaldson also did not speak to reporters. Through a Yankees spokesman, Donaldson said he had not talked to Major League Baseball about the situation and didn’t talk speak to Anderson on Sunday.
There didn’t appear to be any carryover on the field in either game of the previous afternoon’s anger and tension when the benches and bullpens emptied. Donaldson acknowledged Saturday he called Anderson “Jackie” — a reference to pioneering baseball icon Jackie Robinson that elicited criticism from both managers.
Major League Baseball is investigating the incident.
White Sox starter Michael Kopech said he heard fans chanting “Jackie” at Anderson.
Before the five-run eighth, the story was White Sox starter Kopech, who retired the first 17 batters he faced on just 60 pitches before Rob Brantly doubled to left field.
Kopech (1-1) allowed just the one hit and two walks while striking out six over seven innings.
Yankees starter Luis Severino scattered eight hits over seven scoreless innings. Jonathan Loaisiga (1-2) lost in relief.
Donaldson sat out the finale after going 0 for 4 but coming within a few feet of a much bigger day in the opener. With two on and two outs in the first, Donaldson lined out to third base, where Yoan Moncada — inserted into the lineup in place of Anderson — saved a run by snaring the ball at his shoetops. In the fourth, Donaldson flied out to the wall in left field.
With two on and one out in the eighth, he flied out to the track in right-center.
White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal, who confronted Donaldson on Saturday, went out to talk to reliever Kendall Graveman as the Yankees third baseman approached the batter’s box. Donaldson stepped back out of the box as Grandal returned to the plate.
La Russa said Donaldson’s comment was “racist” following Saturday’s game, a 7-5 Yankees win. New York manager Aaron Boone said Sunday he believed Donaldson didn’t mean any harm with his words, but thought using such a term was “…somewhere he should not be going.”
Aaron Judge’s eighth-inning homer off Graveman cost Johnny Cueto a win in the opener. The resurgent 36-year-old righty allowed six hits, walked two and struck out five in his second major league outing of the season.
Liam Hendriks, who used an expletive earlier Sunday to describe how he didn’t believe Donaldson’s explanation that he made the “Jackie” reference as part of an inside joke with Anderson, struck out two in a perfect ninth to preserve the win for Graveman (1-1).
Hendriks pumped his fist and yelled loud enough to be heard three levels away after whiffing Jose Trevino for his 13th save.
Yankees starter Jameson Taillon allowed one run on five hits and one walk with seven strikeouts in a season-high seven innings. Chapman (0-2) took the loss.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.