CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox would like to look at the just-completed weekend series against the New York Yankees as a temporary snafu in an otherwise impressive run of pitching.

The reality is that the pitching staff not only was defeated twice by the Yankees this weekend, the most recent a 12-3 rout on Sunday, they were manhandled. Only John Danks came away unscathed, although Scott Carroll was impressive in a mop-up role Sunday.

Before rookie Carlos Rodon was roughed up in Friday's series opener, White Sox pitchers had delivered a 2.81 ERA since June 30, the second lowest mark in baseball over that month-long stretch.

Then Rodon gave up eight runs in three innings Friday and Jeff Samardzija was roughed up for nine runs over 4⅔ innings Sunday. All told, the Yankees outscored the White Sox 27-17 in the series, which means their opponent averaged nine runs a game.

"These things happen," said Samardzija, who was pitching two days after the non-waiver trade deadline passed. "The thing is, you need to stop it. You don't let it snowball. We have a great guy going [Monday in Jose Quintana] and [Chris] Sale after him. That's the great thing with [this] staff, if one guy has a down day there are four other guys to pick him up. We'll expect great things out of Q tomorrow."

Perhaps the White Sox expended so much energy trying to win games before the trade deadline that they hit somewhat of a lull once it passed. It didn't help that they were facing a Yankees lineup with a patient approach that waits out pitchers until they get a good pitch.

"It's tough," manager Robin Ventura said. "There's going to be periods where that happens. And this is a lineup that can do it to you. If you are not sharp and on top of it, you are going to pay for it. And we did."

Even though the offense has been better, it was in no way good enough to overcome the damage the Yankees did in the series. Still, 17 runs in three games against a first-place team is something the White Sox wouldn't have been able to do as recently as two or three weeks ago.

The sense was that an improved offense merged with the productive staff was a combination for winning. That can still happen, it just didn't happen against the Yankees, and more playoff contending teams await on the schedule like the Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Angels, Kansas City Royals and Chicago Cubs.

"You can't keep [that pitching] up for a long period of time," leadoff man Adam Eaton said. "What's it been, three weeks to a month were they've been very, very solid? Two-, three-, four-run games consistently and that's given us a chance to win. As much as we'd love to have it for another week there's gotta be slips and falls every now and again. We're thrilled with our pitching staff and what they've done for us."

Even in Sunday's defeat, positive signs from the offense emerged. Melky Cabrera had another multi-hit game, his ninth over his past 11 contests. And catcher Geovany Soto hit his fourth home run in his past six starts, with Sunday's long ball representing the 100th of his career.

"I feel we have a great team and we can compete against anybody," Soto said. "I feel like a lot of these guys in this clubhouse were determined to compete and we have to go play. I feel that against anybody we match up well. I feel we have a great team here."

In the grand scheme of things, losing two of three to a first-place team shouldn't be doom and gloom, but with the hole the White Sox dug for themselves, they can't be losing a series if they want to turn themselves into surprise contenders.

"It's not early, it's not halfway anymore and we're getting toward the home stretch," Eaton said. "I wouldn't say there's urgency. But come ready to play every day. We gotta keep pushing as much as we [can]. We need to have a little bit of, 'Hey, let's get going, let's have a good game. We could have a good day today and start winning some ballgames.' We've been playing some good baseball the last two weeks but we gotta keep pushing."

Samardzija's outing ended his run of 10 consecutive starts with seven innings or more. The White Sox are going to need him to start another lengthy run like that through the end of the season.

There might be two months to play for everybody else, but the White Sox have no choice but to act like the season is on the line now.

"We know our backs are up against the up wall and we need to win as many as possible as soon as possible," Samardzija said. "The same thing applies for me that applies to everybody. Show up and turn the page and go get them tomorrow. We have a new series and another chance to win a series."