CHICAGO — The New York Yankees overcame early defensive mistakes to roll past the Chicago White Sox 10-4 on Thursday night at Guaranteed Rate Field. The win extended their streak to five straight, powered by three home runs and a flawless bullpen effort.
Cody Bellinger, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Trent Grisham provided the muscle, while four relievers kept the White Sox scoreless over the final frames. The Yankees improved to 74-60, staying in the thick of the American League wild-card chase.
Yankees tie MLB record with historic power surge
New York equaled a Major League Baseball record with its latest homer barrage. The Yankees have now hit 33 home runs in their last 10 games, matching a mark previously set by the 1977 Boston Red Sox and later matched by the 2006 Atlanta Braves and 2019 Los Angeles Dodgers.
“Obviously, it’s a really talented team, a really talented lineup,” Bellinger said. “It’s clicking right now and it’s obviously really fun. Just fun to be a part of and we’re looking to keep it rolling.”
The Yankees sit atop the majors with 228 home runs, 27 more than the Los Angeles Dodgers. They have scored double-digit runs 21 times this season, also the most in baseball.
Bellinger and Chisholm provide early offense
The Yankees wasted no time against White Sox starter Davis Martin. After Aaron Judge drew a first-inning walk, Cody Bellinger crushed a two-run shot 395 feet to right on an 0-2 pitch.
“Just an outstanding all-around ballplayer having a great year,” manager Aaron Boone said of Bellinger, who is hitting .321 with 17 home runs in his last 58 games.
In the second, Jazz Chisholm made it 3-0 with his 26th home run, a 382-foot drive on a 96-mph fastball. Moments later, Ben Rice pushed the lead to 4-0 with an RBI single. That hit came after Anthony Volpe reached on an error and swiped second base.
Volpe error costs Yankees momentum
The White Sox answered in their half of the second. Volpe committed his American League-leading 18th error when he mishandled Edgar Quero’s routine grounder. The mistake set up a rally.
Starter Will Warren then walked one and hit another to load the bases. After striking out Mike Tauchman, Warren left a 401-foot grand slam to Miguel Vargas, tying the game at 4-4.
“I hate that I give up the grand slam and it’s back to a 0-0 game,” Warren said. “Judgey came over and was like, ‘Hey, we’re going to put up runs.’ I trust that we’re going to do that, and we have the capability of putting up 10 every night.”
Yankees regain control in fifth inning
New York broke the tie in the fifth when Rice beat out an infield single. Judge followed with a grounder to third baseman Curtis Mead, whose throw sailed wide of first. The error led to a collision with Vargas, who exited later with a left wrist contusion. Ben Rice scored on the play to give the Yankees a 5-4 edge.
Chisholm added insurance with a sacrifice fly, driving in Judge for a 6-4 lead.
Bullpen dominates White Sox hitters
After Will Warren worked five innings, the bullpen took over and shut the door. Fernando Cruz, Luke Weaver, Devin Williams, and Mark Leiter Jr. combined for four perfect innings with seven strikeouts.
Chicago managed just two hits after Kyle Teel’s single in the fifth, as the Yankees’ relievers locked down the game.
Warren allowed four runs, none earned, on five hits and two walks, while striking out three.
Volpe bounces back at the plate
Though his glove betrayed him, Anthony Volpe showed signs of breaking through at the plate. He went 2-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and a stolen base, marking his first multi-hit outing since August 1.
“It’s obviously frustrating because at the end of the day, you want to get results and help the team, and you’re not doing that,” Volpe said. “It’s frustrating, but at the same time, I felt close and in a good spot and I felt like I was taking some good swings.”
Boone voiced confidence in the 23-year-old shortstop, who had been benched for two games against Washington earlier in the week.
“He’s such an important part of what we do, so hopefully this is something he can build on,” Boone said.
Grisham delivers knockout punch
The Yankees blew the game open in the eighth. Trent Grisham belted a two-run homer to right-center, his 27th of the year and sixth in the past nine games. The 391-foot drive was part of a four-run inning that stretched the lead to 9-4.
Paul Goldschmidt tacked on a sacrifice fly in the ninth for the final margin.
Wild card race heating up
The win kept New York within reach in both the AL East and the wild-card race. The Yankees trail the Toronto Blue Jays by four games in the division and sit just a half-game behind Boston for the top wild-card spot.
“We want to win the division. We don’t just want to get to a wild-card spot,” Chisholm said. “Right now, it’s just like, we’re going to go out there and win that, and then we’re going to go win the World Series.”
The Yankees have won 12 of their last 16, sitting 14 games above .500 for the first time since June 15. It’s a strong rebound after a 60-54 low point in early August.
The series continues Friday as New York looks to extend its streak against the White Sox, who own baseball’s second-worst record at 48-86.
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