Judge and Stanton homer to back up the effective Cortés and the Yankees on a roll beat the White Sox 4-2 originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton homered, Néstor Cortés won for the first time in 5 1/2 weeks and the New York Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox 4-2 on Friday 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) matched its longest winning streak this season and won 11 of 13 overall, moving 16 games over .500 for the first time since finishing 99-63 in 2022.
Caleb Ferguson worked out of a jam in the eighth inning to preserve a two-run lead and Clay Holmes pitched a no-hitter for his AL-best 13th save. The closer hasn’t allowed an earned run in 19 appearances this year.
Andrew Vaughn had two RBI singles and leadoff hitter Tommy Pham finished with three hits for the White Sox (14-31) in a matchup between the American League’s best and bottom teams.
With a runner on, Pham took a called third strike to end the game. Chicago had won two in a row and six of eight.
Both teams were coming off consecutive shutouts. Cortes (2-4) had been the only weak link in a streak of stingy starting pitching by the Yankees, but the crafty lefty was on his game this time. He struck out six and did not allow an earned run in seven five-hit innings for his first win since April 8 against Miami.
Cortes was 0-3 in his previous four starts and winless in his last six.
New York improved to 35-4 when Judge and Stanton homered in the same game, including the playoffs.
COACH 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) can begin playing rehab games early next week at the club’s complex in Arizona. … RHP Dominic Leone (lower back tightness) took live batting practice and could come off the disabled list Monday in Toronto. … OF Corey Julks was recalled from Charlotte and INF Braden Shewmake was traded 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 on a March 16 foul in spring training. His first rehab assignment was cut short by pain after a tackle on April 23. New York manager Aaron Boone said he believes it’s possible LeMahieu could return at some point during the May 24-June 2 West Coast trip. … RHP Tommy Kahnle (shoulder inflammation) struck out all three batters he faced Thursday in a rehab outing for Somerset. He is scheduled to pitch again in the minors on Sunday and could possibly return to the Yankees on Tuesday, Boone said.
UNTIL NEXT TIME
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 on Saturday afternoon. Gil is coming off six scoreless innings Sunday in a win at Tampa Bay.
