Bronx, New York — Giancarlo Stanton delivered the go ahead swing and Carlos Rodón turned in six steady innings as the New York Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox 5 to 3 on Thursday night at Yankee Stadium. The win completed a three game sweep and kept New York even with Toronto at the top of the AL East entering the final three games of the regular season.
New York trailed 3 to 1 in the fifth when Aaron Judge singled, Cody Bellinger added a hit, and Ben Rice drew a walk to load the bases against reliever Tyler Gilbert. Stanton, who struck out in his first two trips, cracked a hard grounder just past third baseman Curtis Mead. The ball rolled into left field and cleared the bases, giving the Yankees a 4 to 3 lead they never surrendered. It was Stanton’s eighth double and his fifty ninth run batted in this season.
“Earlier in the game I was trying to do too much. This time I calmed down, got a pitch out over the plate, and just focused on hitting it hard.” — Giancarlo Stanton
Rodón reaches two hundred strikeouts and earns win number eighteen
Carlos Rodón18 and 9 worked six innings and allowed three runs on four hits with five strikeouts and one walk. He reached two hundred strikeouts in a season for the second time in his career. His previous high was two hundred thirty seven with San Francisco in 2022. The big blow against him came in the fourth when Michael A. Taylor lined a two run homer to right center. Rodón settled in and left with the lead after Stanton’s swing.
“It is incredible to watch him grind through hitters and give us a chance to win every time he takes the ball.” — Giancarlo Stanton on Carlos Rodón
Judge sets AL record for intentional walks and keeps raking
Aaron Judge went two for three with a double and a single and drew two intentional walks. He now has thirty six intentional walks this year, which is the most in American League history since the league began tracking the stat in 1955. Judge raised his MLB best batting average to .330.
In the seventh, Stanton walked and Jasson Domínguez came in to run. Austin Wells then drilled an RBI double off the right center fence to extend the margin to 5 to 3. Wells is up to seventy runs batted in this season.
Bullpen locks it down and defense shines
Luke Weaver tossed a clean seventh. Devin Williams struck out two in a scoreless eighth despite two baserunners, and David Bednar needed only three batters for his twenty sixth save in twenty nine chances. In the eighth, Cody Bellinger made a running catch deep in left center with two aboard to end the threat and preserve the two run lead.
White Sox miscues and bright spots
Chicago has dropped five in a row and eleven of twelve, falling to 58 and 101. Rookie Colson Montgomery doubled leading off the sixth but was thrown out easily trying to advance to third on a routine grounder to short with the White Sox down 4 to 3. Michael A. Taylor produced the club’s big swing with a two run homer in the fourth, and Michael Vargas scored twice.
Standings context and what is next
The Yankees improved to 91 and 68, matching Toronto for the best record in the American League. The Blue Jays beat Boston 6 to 1 and own the head to head tiebreaker after taking the season series eight wins to five. New York has already secured home field advantage for the Wild Card Series if needed, yet the AL East crown remains in play.
New York hosts last place Baltimore this weekend. The Yankees are scheduled to start rookie right hander Will Warren who is 8 and 8 with a 4.35 ERA against Orioles left hander Trevor Rogers who is 9 and 2 with a 1.35 ERA. Toronto is home against Tampa Bay with Yoendrys Gómez 3 and 3 with a 4.92 ERA facing Cade Cavalli 3 and 1 with a 4.23 ERA.
“We have to take care of our scoreboard first. We know what is at stake and we need to finish strong against Baltimore.” — Giancarlo Stanton
By the numbers
Yankees have won five straight and eight of nine, and are a season high twenty three games over .500.
Rodón: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 HR.
Stanton: 1 for 3 with a three run double and one walk.
Judge: 2 for 3 with a double and two intentional walks, AL record thirty six intentional walks this year.
Wells: RBI double in the seventh for his seventieth RBI.
Weaver hold number twenty one, Williams hold number fifteen, Bednar save number twenty six.
Felix Pantaleon is The Founder of NYYNEWS.com The First & Oldest Independent New York Yankees Content Creator Platform, Since 2005.Follow on Social Media
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