In the handshake line after the White Sox won 3-1 at Yankee Stadium in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader, manager Tony La Russa stopped outfielder A.J. Pollock — who homered in the ninth inning to put the Sox ahead — and said a real mouthful in two words.

“Thank you.”

Yes, indeed. The Sox needed a win against the soaring Yankees not only to have Tim Anderson’s back, not only to stick it to New York’s Josh Donaldson and not only because the Sox just can’t seem to find any sort of traction this season. They needed a win to fight against early signs that — kind of like the Bulls, come to think of it — they’re a talented group that might not be able to stack up against the big boys of the league.

The win left them at 2-5 against the Yankees heading into the nightcap and series finale. And the low point of the season so far was a miserable three-game set at the Twins — who have a comfy lead in the division and look for real — that punctuated an eight-game losing streak.

It’s hardly too late for the Sox to crank things up before the All-Star break, but the first half has been bleak. And speaking of the Bulls, their second half was beyond bleak and led to a first-round playoff no-show against the Bucks.

What do the Bulls have to do with this? We’re thinking of Jerry Reinsdorf — his kingdom for a legit winner! — who must be wondering, at least one some level, if he’s ever going to see his basketball team or his baseball team win another championship.

Here’s what’s happening:

MON 23

Cubs at Reds (5:40 p.m., Marquee)

Since a 3-22 start earned them early “worst team in baseball” status, the Reds have played so well they’ve moved up to “possibly a tiny bit better than their still-hideous record indicates” status.

Heat at Celtics, Game 4 (7:30 p.m., Ch. 7)

The Heat can grab control of this series with a second straight road win for a 3-1 lead, but we’re not betting on it. And as absurdly pervasive as the gambling industry has become in sports, that’s saying something.

Avalanche at Blues, Game 4 (8:30 p.m., TNT)

Tensions are sky-high after the Avs’ Nazem Kadri bowled over and injured Blues goalie Jordan Binnington in Game 3. Heads on a swivel, everybody.

TUE 24

Fever at Sky (7 p.m., CW 26)

School will be in session against baby-faced Indy, which has more rookies than a sorority pledge class. Candace Parker and the Sky have so much to teach them.

Warriors at Mavericks, Game 4 (8 p.m., TNT)

Steph Curry is so close to the Finals, he can taste it. That is, when he isn’t chewing on his mouthpiece like a 7-year-old.

Flames at Oilers, Game 4 (8:30 p.m., ESPN)

There’s so much offense in this series, it almost doesn’t look like hockey. It definitely doesn’t look like Blackhawks hockey.

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (9 p.m., HBO)

Several women who accused NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct give their first national TV interviews. Think Watson’s new $230 million deal in Cleveland might come up at some point? Same here.

WED 25

Red Sox at White Sox (7:10 p.m., NBCSCH)

The Beantowners are still under .500, but they’ve won five straight and surely haven’t forgotten being swept at their place by the South Siders earlier this month.

THU 26

Cubs at Reds (11:35 a.m., Marquee)

Iron sharpens iron, as the saying goes. And in completely unrelated news, the Cubbies and Redlegs bring a four-game series to a close.

SAT 28

Aces at Sky (2 p.m., Ch. 7)

Jackie Young is scoring like never before, Kelsey Plum pretty much can’t miss from three and A’Ja Wilson and Dearica Hamby are making everybody pay inside. The Sky are the champs, but the Aces are the league favorities.

Fire at Toronto (6 p.m., Ch. 9)

The big problem with the Fire is they never seem to score. The big problem with the Reds is they never seem to stop the other team from scoring. Consider it a tossup.

Cubs at White Sox (6:15 p.m., Fox-32)

The Sox already swept two at Wrigley Field. On the other hand, the Sox have a losing record at G-Rate and the Cubs somehow have played .500 ball on the road, so, you know, let’s just see what happens.

SUN 29

Indy 500 (10 a.m., Ch. 5)

Hello, H?lio. Castroneves guns it for his fifth win in this race, which would break a four-way tie with bygone legends A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser and give the 47-year-old Brazilian the most ever.

Cubs at White Sox (1:10 p.m., Marquee, NBCSCH)

And another year of the city’s baseball rivalry comes to an end — unless the Cubs and Sox collide in the World … oh, never mind.

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Patrick Wisdom took off his Cubs jersey and purposely put on his “Schwisdom” t-shirt prior to a postgame interview in the Cubs clubhouse Sunday –a tribute to his pairing with teammate and next-door-lockermate Frank Schwindel.

It doesn’t quite have the same ring as the “Bash Brothers.” But on this day, Schwisdom was just as effective.

With the Cubs in a bind after losing an early three-run lead and headed toward a fifth straight defeat in the eighth inning against the Diamondbacks, Wisdom homered off reliever Ian Kennedy to tie the game and Schwindel followed with a homer of his own that gave the Cubs a 5-4 victory before 32,606 fans at Wrigley Field.

As modest as it is in the big picture, “Schwisdom” might be the best thing the Cubs’ offense has going right now. The duo also hit back-to-back homers in Saturday’s 7-6 loss to the Diamondbacks. It marked the first time the Cubs had the same players hit back-to-back homers in back-to-back games since Ernie Banks and Jim Hickman did it on Aug. 23-24, 1969, per Cubs historian Ed Hartig.

“It was a fun two batters right there,” Schwindel said. “Great team win.”

Wisdom’s homer, a 404-foot drive to left-center with little doubt, came after he lined a ball down the left-field line that looked fair to the Cubs but was called foul. “That’s one of those ones you’re like, ‘Wow that’s super close,'” manager David Ross said. “Willie [third base coach Willie Harris] is usually the guy who has a pretty good idea and he just kind of raised his eyebrows, saying it was pretty close.”

“I thought it was [fair] from my angle,” Wisdom said, “but I think we’ll all take the home run instead. It’s his call, so I just have to regroup and get back in there. I got another good pitch to hit.”

Schwindel followed with a high drive to straight left field that landed three rows into the bleachers, and he sprinted around the bases once he knew it was gone, gleefully celebrating just as Wisdom had done on his home run.

It was the third consecutive game the Cubs have had back-to-back home runs. Christopher Morel and Ildemaro Vargas –did it against Caleb Smith in Friday’s 10-6 loss.

Schwindel acknowledged the difficulty of hitting a home run off a pitcher who has just allowed one. “But I was riding the momentum right there,” he said. “I think that was the intent on the swing. It worked out today. It worked [Saturday]. It’s just a lot of fun when we can do that.”

Until then, the Cubs’ offensive hero was catcher P.J. Higgins, who was called up Sunday with Willson Contreras needing at least a couple of days off because of a strained hamstring.

Higgins, who was 1-for-23 (.043) in a nine-game stint with the Cubs last season before suffering a season-ending forearm injury that required surgery, hit a two-out, bases-loaded triple in his first at-bat this time to give the Cubs a 3-0 lead.

“Nice job of hitting,” Ross said. “Huge knock for us. Huge.”

It was a particularly clutch hit, coming after the Cubs had loaded the bases with no outs before Alfonso Rivas struck out and Andrelton Simmons fouled out.

“Definitely had some emotions,” Higgins said. “Obviously I didn’t have many hits the first go-round, so to get that with the bases loaded was awesome, The whole crowd — the whole atmosphere was awesome to be around. I was a little bit tired running around. But that happens — I don’t hit that many triples. But it was awesome.”

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NEW YORK — All he does is put up zeros.

Crafty veteran right-hander Johnny Cueto, in his second start for the White Sox, pitched six-plus innings of scoreless ball against the slugging Yankees Sunday, and AJ Pollock hit a tiebreaking homer against Aroldis Chapman in the ninth inning helping the Sox to a 3-1 victory in the first game of a doubleheader Sunday.

On a hot afternoon at Yankee Stadium, Cueto exited with a 1-0 lead after allowing singles to Aaron Hicks and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, putting runners on first and second with no out.

Enter right-hander Joe Kelly, who worked out of the jam by striking out Marwin Gonzalez and picking off Hicks at second base and striking out Jose Trevino looking. Trevino was up with Kiner-Falefa at second base because of catcher Yasmani Grandal’s passed ball.

Cueto did not get the win because the Yankees tied it against Kendall Graveman in the eighth on Aaron Judge’s 15th homer. Cueto’s streak of 12 scoreless innings to start his career ranks third since 1974 behind Ken Brett with 17 in 1976 and Jack McDowell with 13 in 1987, per STATS.

Cueto threw 6-plus innings, striking out five, walking two and allowing six hits. He picked off Kiner Falefa from first in the second inning. In his first start for the Sox Monday in Kansas City, Cueto, 36, gave up two hits and two walks without allowing a run. He struck out seven.

On Sunday, Cueto threw 95 pitches.

Cueto, Graveman and Chapman were checked by training staff during their outings but stayed in the game. Cueto, who chugged two bottles of Gatorade, appeared to be dealing with cramps.

Jose Abreu, Pollock and Yasmani Grandal (RBI) singled consecutively against Jameson Taillon in the fourth for the game’s only run in the first seven innings.

After Pollock connected for his second homer of the season, Adam Engel doubled home Andrew Vaughn for the Sox’ third run.

The Sox improved to 20-20 a day after losing 7-5 in a game marked by a benches clearing incident.

Liam Hendriks pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 13th save. Hendriks struck out two.

Before the game, Hendriks ripped Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson for Donaldson’s defense of a “Jackie” comment to Tim Anderson that started a benches clearing incident.

Donaldson was 0-for-4, but flied out deep twice and lined out to third base. Anderson did not play as he was rested in the first game of the doubleheader.

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NEW YORK — White Sox closer Liam Hendriks didn’t mince words, blasting Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson’s explanation for calling Sox shortstop Tim Anderson “Jackie” Saturday “delusional.”

Donaldson said it was an inside joke. The Sox viewed it as offensive, and the multiple exchanges between Donaldson and Anderson during the Yankees’ 7-5 victory resulted in a bench-clearing incident that is being investigated by Major League Baseball.

“Usually you have inside jokes with people you get along with, not people that don’t get along at all,” Hendriks said before the Sox and Yankees’ scheduled doubleheader at Yankee Stadium. “So that statement right there was complete bull—. Then again, my feelings toward the individual in question are pretty well documented in the fact that we don’t get along.”

Hendriks and Donaldson were teammates with the Blue Jays in 2015.

“The fact I have now spoken to four separate clubhouses he’s been in and as a whole, none of them get along,” Hendriks said. “So, trying to whip out that narrative is complete and utter bull—.”

Donaldson said Saturday that he has called Anderson “Jackie” in the past, referencing Anderson saying in 2019, “I kind of feel like today’s Jackie Robinson.”

“Obviously he deemed that it was disrespectful,” Donaldson said. “Look, if he did, I apologize. There was no meaning by me saying that to him other than he’s called himself that. That’s it.”

Sox manager Tony La Russa, who called Donaldson’s words “racist” Saturday, on Sunday said he wants to hear what the Yankees organization has to say about it.

“This is, just in my opinion, somewhere [Donaldson] should not be going,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday.

“It’s not really important what I say here,” La Russa said. “I saw what Aaron said; he’s between a rock and a hard place there. I know him, I know his family and I know he doesn’t approve. But I’m really waiting to hear what the Yankees say. I know what they represent, right? God Bless America, seventh inning. So I’m waiting to hear what they say.”

When Donaldson came to bat in the fifth inning, Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal went face to face, causing the benches and bullpens to empty.

To the Sox, what Donaldson said was no joke, inside or otherwise.

“I don’t understand how he ever thought about it like that, it’s just straight delusional,” Hendriks said.

“A couple of our guys made sure a couple of their guys in the their clubhouse knew exactly what was going on. So whether it’s an internal thing that has to happen on their side or what, today we show up and do what we came here to do. We have a chance to win two games at Yankee Stadium and that’s what we plan to do today.”

La Russa removed Anderson from the Game 1 lineup (2:05 p.m., NBCSCH, 1000-AM), saying he didn’t want to overuse him. Yoan Moncada, who has been dealing with minor leg soreness, was added to the Game 1 lineup. Anderson will play Game 2 (6:08 p.m., ESPN, 1000-AM).

Boone, meanwhile, said Sunday the Yankees were “trying to do as much as we can to diffuse it and just play ball.

“I talked with JD and a few other players to address this and get to the bottom of this, get the context and the history of this,” Boone said.

“When I first heard the name Jackie, I was really taken aback. Frankly, I was upset about it myself. When you hear the story of it — again, I don’t think [Donaldson] should say that even if there is a perceived relationship or whatever — but the original story of where it was born out of, and a few years of saying that, I’m less taken aback by it at that point. I sit here as a white guy and that it did change the context for me, I also understand how it can be offensive and upsetting. But since it was born out of that article, it does to me change the context.”

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