This was the fifth time the Yankees had played the White Sox in the last nine days, a scheduling quirk that means both teams must know an awful lot about each other. I’m not sure a rivalry will ever really exist between the two clubs, but today was the kind of game that could spark one, as the Yankees won a chippy, confrontational series opener 7-5.
Familiarity may breed contempt, but in baseball it appears to breed offense as well, with both starters facing their opponents for the second time in a week. The Yankees looked to have strong control over the outside edge of the strike zone, where Dallas Keuchel lives and breathes.