New York @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 14, 2019 ) Chi. White Sox 5, NY Yankees 2

The New York Yankees still hold a half-game lead atop the American League East over the Tampa Bay Rays, but are not playing their best baseball of late. The Yankees will try to get right on the road when they visit the Chicago White Sox on Thursday in the opener of a four-game series.

New York, which returns home for a tough stretch against Tampa Bay and AL West-leading Houston next week, dropped six of its last nine games and allowed an average of 7.7 runs in those six losses - capped by a 10-4 loss to the Mets in the finale of a doubleheader on Tuesday in which left-hander James Paxton was knocked out after 2 2/3 innings. "It's a little bit of a challenge with what we're going through, but the guys are capable of getting it done," Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters. The White Sox are winners of three of their last four and will challenge that struggling Yankees staff with rookie slugger Eloy Jimenez, who smacked a 462-foot homer - his ninth - in Tuesday's 7-5 victory over Washington. Veteran left-hander J.A. Happ will try to stop Jimenez and settle things for the New York staff while righty Ivan Nova takes the hill for Chicago.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, YES (New York), NBCS Chicago

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees LH J.A. Happ (6-3, 4.48 ERA) vs. White Sox RH Ivan Nova (3-5, 6.28)

Happ is 5-0 in his last six starts and yielded one run - a solo homer - in seven innings to earn a win at Toronto on Thursday. The 36-year-old surrendered at least one homer in each of his last five outings but limited the damage to three or fewer earned runs in four of those turns. Happ was not at his best at home against Chicago on April 12, when he was lit up for six runs on nine hits - one homer - and a pair of walks over four innings to suffer the loss.

Nova is winless in his last three starts and was knocked around for four runs and six hits over 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision at Kansas City on Friday. The Dominican Republic native runs into trouble with his control at times but issued only three walks across 24 1/3 innings over his last four outings. Nova, who began his career with the Yankees, started at New York on April 13 and yielded one run on four hits but was saddled with the loss in a 4-0 final.

WALK-OFFS

1. White Sox 3B Yoan Moncada (back) sat out Tuesday and is day-to-day.

2. Yankees OF Giancarlo Stanton (calf) is completing a rehab assignment and could return to the team on Monday.

3. New York RHP Dellin Betances will be shut down in his rehab from a shoulder injury due to a lat strain.

PREDICTION: Yankees 6, White Sox 4