Sheets, Lee, Baldwin power White Sox past Yankees 12-2 for 1st win under Sizemore

CHICAGO (AP) — Gavin Sheets matched a career high with four hits and drove in four runs, Korey Lee and Brooks Baldwin homered, and the Chicago White Sox gave interim manager Grady Sizemore his first win, pounding the New York Yankees 12-2 Monday night after losing 24 of 25.

The White Sox set season highs for runs and with 18 hits after dropping their first two games under Sizemore, who took over when the White Sox fired Pedro Grifol on Thursday. They had lost three straight since beating Oakland to stop a 21-game skid that matched an American League record.

“I just couldn't be happier for the guys,” said Sizemore, wearing a wide grin and a soaked shirt after being doused by some concoction of liquids and shaving cream. “Just what a great win. A great game played all around, all sides of the ball. So proud of them.”

Lee connected leading off a two-run fourth against Yankees starter Luis Gil. Baldwin capped a six-run seventh with a three-run drive against Enyel De Los Santos that made it 11-2.

Sheets hit RBI doubles in a two-run first, in the fifth against Tim Hill and in the seventh off De Los Santos. He also scored in the inning on a single by Dominic Fletcher, and singled in a run in the eighth.

Andrew Vaughn had four hits and scored twice, helping the White Sox take out a team that came in tied with Baltimore for baseball’s best record.

New York’s Aaron Judge doubled in a run in the first against rookie Ky Bush. He came a few feet short of his 300th home run and a grand slam when he hit a fly to the warning track in the second. But the Yankees were 2 for 18 with runners in scoring position and stranded 16.

“Yeah, they're one of the worst teams, if you want to put it that way, but these guys are still big leaguers," said Alex Verdugo, who scored a run. "They can still have days where they're clicking. We saw it today, a lot of their guys 3 for 4, 3 for 4. These guys can still have good days. We've got to just do a better job of coming out and cashing in those runs that we had on base, kind of step on them early.”

Bush allowed two runs and six hits over 4 2/3 innings in his second major league start. The 24-year-old left-hander walked seven and threw 97 pitches, after losing at Oakland last week in his debut.

Touki Toussaint (1-2) got the win in relief, recording four outs.

Gil (12-6) threw 98 pitches in four innings, allowing four runs and seven hits. The 26-year-old right-hander walked two.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Yankees: 3B Jazz Chisholm Jr. exited the game with a left elbow injury. He was hurt on a headfirst dive scoring in the fifth and was scheduled for an MRI on Tuesday. “I'm not super concerned about it,” he said. “All the tests that we've done in here have been pretty positive.”

White Sox: The White Sox held CF Luis Robert Jr. out of the lineup, giving him another day of rest after the team had a rare scheduled day off on Sunday. Robert missed two months early in the season because of a strained a right hip flexor. “I think we forget what he's kind of gone through and how fast he came back,” Sizemore said.

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New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Gil throws against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Ky Bush throws against the New York Yankees during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago White Sox's starting pitcher Ky Bush catches a bunted popout by New York Yankees' Alex Verdugo during the fourth inning of a baseball game Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

New York Yankees' Alex Verdugo bunts a popout to Chicago White Sox's starting pitcher Ky Bush during the fourth inning of a baseball game Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

New York Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr., right, slide safe into third base as Chicago White Sox third baseman Lenyn Sosa misses the ball during the second inning of a baseball game Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge warms up before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago White Sox's Nicky Lopez, right, slaps hands with first base coach Jason Bourgeois, left, after hitting a single that allowed Dominic Fletcher to score during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago White Sox's Dominic Fletcher scores on a single by Nicky Lopez during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

New York Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. signals to the dugout after hitting a single during the second inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Chicago White Sox's Korey Lee, right, slaps hands with third base coach Justin Jirschele, left, as he runs the bases on a home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees, Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lankans began voting Saturday in a presidential election that will determine the course of the country's recovery from its worst economic crisis and resulting political upheaval.

The election, contested by 38 candidates, is largely a three-way race among incumbent liberal President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Marxist-leaning lawmaker Anura Kumara Dissanayake, and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa.

There are 17 million eligible voters, and final results are expected Sunday.

The results will show whether Sri Lankans approve of Wickremesinghe's leadership over the country's fragile recovery, including restructuring its debt under an International Monetary Fund program after it defaulted in 2022.

The government announced Thursday that it passed the final hurdle in debt restructuring by reaching an agreement in principle with private bond holders.

Sri Lanka’s local and foreign debt totaled $83 billion at the time it defaulted, and the government says it has now restructured more than $17 billion.

Despite a significant improvement in key economic figures, Sri Lankans are struggling under high taxes and living costs.

Both Premadasa and Dissanayake say they will renegotiate the IMF deal to make austerity measures more bearable. Wickremesinghe has warned that any move to alter the basics of the agreement could delay the release of a fourth tranche of nearly $3 billion in assistance pledged by the IMF that's crucial to maintaining stability.

Sri Lanka’s economic crisis resulted largely from excessive borrowing on projects that did not generate revenue. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the government’s insistence on using scarce foreign reserves to prop up the currency, the rupee, contributed to the economy’s free fall.

The economic collapse brought a severe shortage of essentials such as medicine, food, cooking gas and fuel, with people spending days waiting in line to obtain them. It led to rioting in which protesters took over key buildings including the president’s house, his office and the prime minister’s office, forcing then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country and resign.

Wickremesinghe was elected by a parliamentary vote in July 2022 to cover the remainder of Rajapaksa’s five-year term. Now, Wickremesinghe is seeking another term to strengthen the gains.

However, many people accuse him of protecting members of the Rajapaksa family, whom they blame for the economic crisis.

Wickremesinghe, who was the only member of his party in Parliament, was elected mainly with the votes of Rajapaksa loyalists. They also supported him as members of his Cabinet and in voting for the reforms he proposed.

Polling officers set up their booth in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

A police officer stands guard as polling officers set up their booth in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

People wait in a queue to casts their votes at a polling station in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

People wait in a queue to casts their votes at a polling station in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Sri Lankan president and independent presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe shows indelible mark on his baby finger after casting his vote, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Sri Lankan president and independent presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe reacts after casting his vote, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Sri Lankan president and independent presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe arrives to cast his vote in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Sri Lankan police officer stands guard as voters queue to cast their vote at a polling center for presidential election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Sri Lankan police officer stands guard as voters queue to cast their vote at a polling center for presidential election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Sri Lankan show their baby fingers marked with an indelible ink after casting their vote at a polling center for presidential election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

A person shows indelible mark on his finger after casting his vote in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardane)

People stand in a queue to cast their votes in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardane)

Election officials leave a distribution center after collecting polling material for the upcoming presidential election, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Police officers wait for transport to travel to polling stations ahead of the upcoming presidential election, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

A police officer stands guard outside a polling material distribution center ahead of the presidential election, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka's opposition leader and presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa speaks to his supporters during a public rally in Thalawakele, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Leader and the presidential candidate of National People's Power Anura Kumara Dissanayake speaks to supporters during the final public rally ahead of the election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Sri Lanka's president Ranil Wickremesinghe speaks during a public rally in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Aug. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Women election officials walk past security personnel outside a distribution center before collecting polling materials for the upcoming presidential election, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)