Judge and Stanton homer to back effective Cortes as streaking Yankees top White Sox 4-2
NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton homered, Nestor Cortes won for the first time in 5 1/2 weeks and the New York Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox 4-2 on Friday night for their fifth straight victory.
Alex Verdugo and Stanton hit consecutive RBI doubles off starter Mike Clevinger (0-2) in the fourth inning to give the Yankees a 3-1 lead. New York (31-15) equaled its longest winning streak this season and has won 11 of 13 overall, moving 16 games above .500 for the first time since finishing 99-63 in 2022.
“Once we got on top, we stayed on top,” Stanton said.
Caleb Ferguson pitched out of an eighth-inning jam to preserve a two-run lead. Clay Holmes entered to his new Yankee Stadium light show — a ballpark feature his teammates pushed for, Judge said — and worked a hitless ninth for his AL-best 13th save. The closer has not allowed an earned run in 19 appearances this year.
Andrew Vaughn had two RBI singles and leadoff batter Tommy Pham finished with three hits for the White Sox (14-31) in a series opener between the top and bottom teams in the American League.
With a runner on, Pham took a called third strike to end it. Chicago had won two in a row and six of eight.
“We played good baseball. They just outplayed us,” Pham said.
Both teams were coming off consecutive shutouts. Cortes (2-4) had been the lone weak link in a run of stingy starting pitching by the Yankees, but the crafty left-hander was on his game this time. He struck out six and didn’t allow an earned run in seven innings of five-hit ball for his first win since April 8 against Miami.
New York starters have given up one earned run over 33 innings in the last five games, with each one going at least six innings.
“Their talent is shining through,” manager Aaron Boone said. “So I’m not surprised, but I’m happy to see it.”
Cortes also picked off a runner at second base and threw out another one at third, improving to 5-0 in his career against the White Sox. He was 0-3 in his previous four starts and winless in his past six.
“The last game we lost was the game I pitched in Tampa. So I made sure that today wasn’t the day we lost again,” Cortes said.
New York improved to 35-4 when Judge and Stanton homer in the same game, including the playoffs.
A raging-hot Judge also walked three times and scored twice on a perfect night at the plate. He has nine homers in his last 22 games and has reached base safely in 14 straight.
“Just not missing the ball,” he said with a grin. “It’s working right now.”
Judge’s last seven hits have gone for extra bases — all in his past three games — and he’s hitting .465 with six homers, nine doubles, 12 RBIs, 13 walks and a 1.093 slugging percentage over his past 13 games.
“It’s unreal. You can’t get him out,” Stanton said. “He can’t hit a single right now. His singles are walks.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: INF Bryan Ramos was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Wednesday, with a left quadriceps strain. INF Danny Mendick (lower back tightness) was reinstated from the IL after playing two rehab games at Triple-A Charlotte. … Chicago hopes OF Luis Robert Jr. (right hip flexor strain) will be able to start playing rehab games early next week at the club’s complex in Arizona. … RHP Dominic Leone (lower back tightness) threw live batting practice and could come off the injured list Monday in Toronto. … OF Corey Julks was recalled from Charlotte and INF Braden Shewmake was optioned to Charlotte.
Yankees: INF DJ LeMahieu began a rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset. He played third base for a few innings as planned and finished 1 for 2 with a single. The two-time batting champion has been sidelined all season after breaking his right foot March 16 on a foul ball in spring training. His first rehab assignment was halted by soreness after one inning on April 23. Boone said he thinks it’s possible LeMahieu could return sometime on the West Coast trip that runs from May 24 to June 2. … RHP Tommy Kahnle (shoulder inflammation) struck out all three batters he faced Thursday in a rehab outing for Somerset. He’s scheduled to pitch in the minors again Sunday and could possibly return to the Yankees on Tuesday, Boone said.
UP NEXT
Chicago RHP Brad Keller (0-1, 2.84 ERA) faces rookie RHP Luis Gil (4-1, 2.51) in the middle game of the series Saturday afternoon. Gil is coming off six shutout innings Sunday in a win at Tampa Bay.
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