New York Yankees 2, Chicago White Sox 3
NEW YORK — On Tuesday night, in a truly exceptional performance, Liam Hendriks secured his initial save since triumphantly overcoming cancer, while Lucas Giolito dominated the game with six consecutive hitless innings. The Chicago White Sox emerged victorious with a 3-2 score against the New York Yankees, marking their longest winning streak of the season, which now stands at four consecutive wins.
In the seventh inning, Isiah Kiner-Falefa delivered a crucial blow to Chicago’s collective no-hit attempt. With two outs, he smashed a double off reliever Joe Kelly, causing a moment of confusion as the ball landed in an area between center fielder Luis Robert Jr. and left fielder Andrew Benintendi. As a result, Willie Calhoun crossed the plate, scoring a run for his team.
In a remarkable display of power, Josh Donaldson launched his third home run in as many games, connecting with the very first pitch delivered by Hendriks in the bottom of the ninth inning. However, Hendriks swiftly recovered and sealed the victory by inducing three consecutive groundouts, completing an impressive two-hit performance. His triumphant display culminated with an exuberant scream and an emphatic fist pump as he secured the final out.
Returning from stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the All-Star reliever made a triumphant comeback on May 29. Gradually easing into the role, he has now reclaimed the closer position and secured his first win of the season on Sunday.
Seby Zavala showcased his power by hitting back-to-back home runs off Clarke Schmidt (2-6), driving in all three runs for the White Sox. This impressive performance contributed to their fifth victory in six games, highlighting their recent success.
Following his two brief outings, Giolito (5-4) rebounded with a strong performance. Despite a hazy sky caused by the presence of Canadian wildfire remnants in the New York area, he persevered and struck out seven batters while issuing three walks.
After an impressive display, he threw 58 of his 100 pitches for strikes and was ultimately replaced after six innings, having kept the opposing team hitless throughout his outing.
In the opening frame, Giolito faced a challenging situation, throwing 23 pitches. With two outs, he issued back-to-back walks to Anthony Rizzo and Donaldson. However, the right-hander showcased his skill by striking out rookie Anthony Volpe on a well-executed slider, successfully concluding the inning.
At the start of the fourth inning, Giolito demonstrated his fastball prowess by securing called third strikes against Rizzo and Donaldson. Following a walk by Volpe, who then stole his first base since May 13, Giolito swiftly retired Calhoun with a softly-hit ground ball, effectively ending the inning.
As Giolito neared the end of his outing, he found himself in full-count situations against both Giancarlo Stanton and Rizzo. Demonstrating his skill and composure, he struck out Stanton with a perfectly placed called third strike. Rizzo followed with a fly ball out, concluding Giolito’s impressive performance on the mound.
In the seventh inning, Kelly showcased his pitching prowess by striking out Donaldson and Volpe. However, he subsequently issued a walk to Calhoun. With only one strike remaining to conclude the inning, the right-hander faced a setback as Kiner-Falefa hit a double, altering the course of the game.
Following Kiner-Falefa’s double, Jose Trevino stepped up and delivered a clean single to the right field, placing runners at the corners. Despite this threat, Kelly managed to escape without allowing any additional damage, effectively preserving the team’s 3-1 lead.
In the eighth inning, Kendall Graveman took to the mound and swiftly retired the opposing batters in order, recording a perfect 1-2-3 inning.
Zavala displayed his exceptional power by achieving his second career multi-homer game, hitting home runs in both the third and fifth innings. The first home run was a remarkable 320-foot shot down the left field line, making it the shortest distance recorded at Yankee Stadium since Statcast began tracking in 2015. Zavala’s second homer was an impressive 435-foot drive into the left-field bleachers, securing a 3-0 lead for his team.
Over the course of six innings, Schmidt conceded three runs while giving up six hits.
UP NEXT
On Wednesday night, Vásquez (0-1, 3.86) goes up against White Sox right-handed pitcher Lance Lynn (4-6, 6.55 ERA).
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