CHICAGO (AP) — Luis Severino has been working on his slider with New York Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild.It’s beginning to pay off C.C. Sabathia Jersey , too.Severino pitched seven effective innings in his first win in a month, Giancarlo Stanton hit his first grand slam in four years and the Yankees swept the Chicago White Sox with a 7-3 victory on Wednesday night.Aaron Hicks also homered as wild card-leading New York closed out a 3-4 trip with its third consecutive win. While Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez remain sidelined by injuries, the Yankees posted their first road series sweep of at least three games since a weekend set against the Angels from April 27-29.“It’s not easy for us right now,” manager Aaron Boone said. “For us to come in here and grind out these wins I think is huge.”The Yankees bounced back nicely after they were swept by the big league-best Red Sox, an ugly four-game set that included Severino’s third straight loss. The ace right-hander was a little better this time around, striking out eight while moving into a tie for the major league lead with his career-best 15th win.Severino (15-5) retired 11 in a row after the White Sox used three straight hits to open a 2-0 lead in the first. After Tim Anderson led off the fifth with his 15th homer, Severino fanned the next two batters, and Austin Romine threw out Yoan Moncada trying to steal second.“A lot of good sliders. The changeup was a factor again tonight,” Boone said. “So hopefully another step forward for him.”Severino said he felt better about his slider after working with Rothschild on the shape of the pitch.“I was in control. I wasn’t missing like a couple outings ago,” he said. “I was on top of the ball.”White Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito (7-9) was tagged for seven runs and six hits in five innings in his first loss in a month. He was 2-0 with a 3.42 ERA in his previous four starts.Giolito unraveled for a while in the second, beginning with Gleyber Torres‘ leadoff walk on four pitches. After Miguel Andujar struck out, the next five batters reached safely.“I lost all my rhythm, I lost all my tempo,” Giolito said. “Four-pitch walk on uncompetitive pitches to open the inning. Kind of just spiraled from there.”Romine and Shane Robinson had consecutive RBI singles, tying it at 2. Brett Gardner was hit by a pitch before Stanton went the other way for his 27th homer, connecting for a high-arcing drive that landed just inside the foul pole in right.It was Stanton’s first slam since April 18, 2014, for Miami against Seattle and No. 6 for his career. He also homered in New York’s 4-3 victory Tuesday night.“Good to get a sweep here,” he said. “Let Boston be in the past, and look ahead to what we need to do.”Hicks added a leadoff drive in the fifth for his 19th homer. His previous career high was 15 last year.Chicago (41-73) had won a season-high four straight before the sweep by New York (71-42). Jose Abreu and Daniel Palka each had two hits and drove in a run for the White Sox.“At the end of the day, the outcome wasn’t the one we wanted for us,” Abreu said through a translator. “But I think it was a very good collective effort for the team.”RESTINGYankees shortstop Didi Gregorius got the day off. Gregorius played every inning in New York’s previous eight games since it was last off on July 30, including Tuesday night’s 13-inning win.BUGGING OUTSecond base umpire Bruce Dreckman had a bug removed from his ear with the help of Yankees trainer Steve Donohue during the ninth inning. The bug was plucked out with a pair of tweezers and was still fluttering its wings after the ordeal.TRAINER’S ROOMYankees: LHP Aroldis Chapman experienced some general soreness after he threw 39 pitches while blowing a save opportunity Sunday night at Boston. But the All-Star closer was available for the series finale against Chicago. “I feel much better http://www.yankeesfanproshop.com/authentic-randy-johnson-jersey ,” Chapman said through a translator.UP NEXTYankees: LHP J.A. Happ (11-6, 4.05 ERA) is slated to start the opener of a season-long 11-game homestand Thursday night against Texas. Happ is coming off the disabled list after being sidelined by hand, foot and mouth disease. Right-hander Chance Adams was optioned to Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre to make room on the roster.White Sox: Following an off day, LHP Carlos Rodon (3-3, 2.94 ERA) starts the opener of a three-game series against Cleveland on Friday night. Rodon is 2-0 with a sparkling 1.56 ERA over his last five games. Rookie RHP Shane Bieber (6-2, 4.58 ERA) pitches for the visiting Indians. The heat of a pennant race can drive an MLB team to make big decisions.Among them is moving an established contributor who is slumping into a part-time role for the sake of the squad's short-term success. It's not always easy, but oftentimes the move has to be made for the good of the team.Ahead we'll take a closer look at five slumping players who need to be benched.In order to be considered for inclusion, a player needed to have a realistic chance of being benched, not just reduced production of late.For example, Carlos Correa is hitting .107/.219/.143 for the Houston Astros in eight games since returning from a back injury. Those numbers aren't pretty, but there's zero chance he'll be benched.Players also needed to have a viable in-house replacement for a benching to be considered.Yonder Alonso is the perfect example here. The Cleveland Indians first baseman is hitting .167/.211/.273 in August, but with Edwin Encarnacion on the disabled list and no potential minor league help, his spot in the lineup is safe.Make sense? Let's get started.Greg Bird, New York Yankees1 of 5Julie Jacobson/Associated PressSeason Stats:274 PA, .211/.303/.414, 11 HR, 35 RBISecond-Half Stats:110 PA, .206/.282/.351, 3 HR, 14 RBIAugust Stats:68 PA, .148/.235/.295, 2 HR, 8 RBIIt's not that Greg Bird is in a slump so much as this entire season has been a trying one for the young first baseman.After missing the 2016 season recovering from surgery on a torn labrum Andy Pettitte Jersey , Bird was shelved once again last year with an ankle injury that cost him nearly four months. However, he returned to post an .846 OPS with six home runs and 16 RBI in September and then homered three times and posted a .426 on-base percentage and .938 OPS in 13 postseason games.The 25-year-old looked primed to deliver a long-awaited breakout season in 2018. Instead, he's struggled mightily鈥攑articularly of late鈥攅n route to a 91 OPS+ and minus-0.2 WAR.Back-to-back games with a home run Saturday and Sunday have provided some hope that he might be gearing up for another late-season surge, but the Yankees would be wise to have a backup plan lined up.Potential Replacement:Mike FordFord, 26, is hitting a modest .252/.326/.437 with 14 home runs and 43 RBI at Triple-A this season.While that might not seem like an upgrade at surface level, he's been red-hot of late, hitting .318/.375/.515 in August with nine extra-base hits in 72 plate appearances.Giving him a call-up and a handful of starts to see if his hot hitting will carry over to the next level looks like a worthwhile move.Ian Desmond, Colorado Rockies2 of 5David Zalubowski/Associated PressSeason Stats:470 PA, .233/.302/.434, 19 HR, 67 RBISecond-Half Stats:100 PA, .228/.280/.359, 1 HR, 11 RBIAugust Stats:62 PA, .190/.226/.293, 0 HR, 8 RBIThe Colorado Rockies no doubt feel a sense of obligation to continue giving Ian Desmond playing time.After all, his $22 million salary makes him the highest-paid player on the roster, and he's scheduled to earn another $38 million over the next three years.The 32-year-old debuted with a thud last season after signing a five-year, $70 million deal in free agency, posting a 73 OPS+ in 373 plate appearances and a minus-1.1 WAR.While his numbers are up a bit this season and he's managed to stay healthy, he's still been a below-average performer offensively (84 OPS+) and a negative-value player (-0.3 WAR).As the Rockies look to chase down a playoff berth http://www.yankeesfanproshop.com/authentic-gary-sanchez-jersey , it's getting harder and harder to justify playing him regularly.Potential Replacement:Matt HollidayHolliday began his pro career in the Colorado organization as a seventh-round pick in the 1998 draft. He spent his first five MLB seasons with the Rockies and finished second in NL MVP voting in 2007 when he led the NL in batting average (.340), hits (216), doubles (50) and RBI (137).After spending last season with the New York Yankees on a one-year deal, Holliday lingered in free agency this offseason until rejoining the Rockies with a minor league pact July 29.The 38-year-old has quickly shaken off the rust, hitting .347/.458/.612 with four doubles, three home runs and 13 RBI in 14 games at Triple-A Albuquerque.He's a potential in-house upgrade over Desmond at first base, and he brings a veteran presence with plenty of big-game experience to a relatively young locker room.Odubel Herrera, Philadelphia Phillies3 of 5Adam Glanzman/Getty ImagesSeason Stats:494 PA, .268/.320/.441, 19 HR, 62 RBISecond-Half Stats:101 PA, .237/.297/.366, 3 HR, 10 RBIAugust Stats:50 PA, .184/.200/.224, 0 HR, 4 RBIThe wheels are already in motion on a diminished role for Odubel Herrera.The 2016 NL All-Star started the season strong with an excellent .313/.377/.485 line over the first two months, but his production has been steadily declining since.He was finally dropped from third in the batting order to sixth on Aug. 5, and he slid to seventh on Aug. 14 and eighth for the first time Sunday.A move down to eighth in the batting order helped spark Maikel Franco earlier this season, but he didn't have someone breathing down his neck for playing time.Herrera does. Potential Replacement:Roman QuinnMatt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote, "It's time to sit Herrera and give Roman Quinn a chance in an expanded role."He has a point.Quinn is hitting .293/.310/.415 with four extra-base hits and four stolen bases in 42 plate appearances since being recalled from the minors July 27. With game-changing speed and excellent defense, he has a chance to be a real spark plug for the contending Phillies.The 25-year-old has had a tough time staying healthy in recent seasons, but now that he's at 100 percent David Robertson Jersey , it's time to see what he can do with a regular role.Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers4 of 5Dustin Bradford/Getty ImagesSeason Stats:424 PA, .284/.335/.477, 18 HR, 69 RBISecond-Half Stats:100 PA, .195/.280/.322, 3 HR, 9 RBIAugust Stats:54 PA, .188/.259/.271, 1 HR, 5 RBIThis is more about keeping Matt Kemp fresh than it is about relegating him to the bench.The 33-year-old was nothing short of a savior for the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first half of the season, shouldering the run production load when Corey Seager was lost for the season and Justin Turner was also watching from the sidelines.However, his production has fallen off dramatically since the All-Star break, and that's not a unique phenomenon.Last season, he hit .293/.340/.486 with 12 home runs and 40 RBI for the Atlanta Braves in the first half, but those numbers dipped to .243/.272/.417 after the break鈥攊ncluding a brutal .170/.182/.396 line over the final month of the season.While his production has taken a similar turn this season, he's still capable of making an impact, as evidenced by his 4-for-12 showing that included a home run this past weekend in a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners.It's just a matter of figuring out how to get the most out of him going forward, and regular rest could be the answer.Potential Replacement:Alex VerdugoVerdugo has nothing left to prove in the minors.The 22-year-old is a .310/.367/.445 hitter over parts of five minor league seasons, including a .335/.390/.481 line at Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2018.He's also held his own in big league action this year, posting a .280/.345/.440 line with five doubles and one home run in 56 plate appearances.Recalling him from the minors and using him as a fourth starting outfielder of sorts to keep everyone fresh for the stretch run would give the Dodgers an opportunity to get his bat into the lineup and provide Kemp with some needed rest.Two birds, one stone.Mitch Moreland, Boston Red Sox5 of 5Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty ImagesSeason Stats:370 PA http://www.yankeesfanproshop.com/authentic-sonny-gray-jersey , .256/.322/.467, 14 HR, 63 RBISecond-Half Stats:84 PA, .188/.214/.363, 3 HR, 17 RBIAugust Stats:55 PA, .212/.236/.423, 2 HR, 15 RBIMitch Moreland was an All-Star for the first time this season on the strength of a .278/.353/.500 line that included 11 home runs and 46 RBI.However, he's gone ice-cold at the plate since the break.The 32-year-old still provides value with his strong defense at first base, and the Red Sox boast the best offense in baseball, so they aren't hurting for production.Still, as they gear up for a potential World Series run, it might be worth exploring other options.Potential Replacements:Steve Pearce and Sam TravisThe Red Sox acquired Steve Pearce from the Toronto Blue Jays on June 28, and he's proved to be a huge addition, hitting .301/.422/.616 with six home runs and 15 RBI in 26 games.As usual, Pearce has crushed left-handed pitching to the tune of a .338/.420/.620 line on the year. However, he's also holding his own against righties, posting a .259/.358/.519 line that includes six home runs in 95 plate appearances.Giving him an expanded role could be one way to increase production at the first base position.The Red Sox could also turn to Sam Travis, a former top prospect who has seen his star fade in recent seasons but has been swinging it well of late.The 24-year-old is hitting .320/.341/.416 in 31 games at Triple-A since returning from a brief promotion to the majors July 16. He's already on the 40-man roster, so at least a September call-up seems likely. All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs and accurate through Aug. 19.