Yankees Power Past White Sox Behind Trio of Home Runs

The New York Yankees kept their surge alive on Thursday night, blasting past the Chicago White Sox 10-4 at Guaranteed Rate Field thanks to home runs from Cody Bellinger, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Trent Grisham. The victory marked the Yankees’ fifth straight and 10th in their last 13 contests, keeping them a half-game behind the Boston Red Sox for the American League’s first wild card spot and within four games of the idle Toronto Blue Jays atop the AL East. Boston edged Baltimore 3-2 earlier in the day.

Will Warren earned the win, improving to 8-6 after working five innings. He gave up five hits and four unearned runs, walked two, and struck out three before turning the ball over to the bullpen. Relievers Fernando Cruz, Luke Weaver, Devin Williams, and Mark Leiter Jr. were flawless, combining to retire the final 12 batters in order as Chicago dropped its third straight game.

Bellinger, who went 3-for-4, opened the scoring with a two-run shot off White Sox starter Davis Martin in the first inning. Chisholm followed with a solo homer in the second before Grisham delivered a two-run blast in the eighth to seal the win. Despite the Yankees’ power, Chicago briefly rallied when rookie first baseman Miguel Vargas hit his first career grand slam in the second inning to tie the game at 4-4. The runs were unearned after Anthony Volpe’s throwing error allowed Edgar Quero to reach base.

The night turned sour for Vargas in the fifth inning when he injured his left wrist trying to handle a wild throw from Curtis Mead. His wrist bent backward as he collided with Aaron Judge at first base, and Vargas was forced to leave the game. Earlier, his slam had been the lone highlight for Chicago’s struggling offense, which managed just five hits, two of them by Kyle Teel.

Martin lasted 3 2/3 innings, giving up four runs—three earned—on four hits while walking three and striking out five. He was tagged for multiple homers for the second consecutive start. Volpe, who had not recorded a hit since August 19, knocked Martin out of the game with a fourth-inning double and went on to finish 2-for-3. Ben Rice and Chisholm also had two hits each, with Chisholm adding two RBIs.

Chicago’s sloppy play continued with three errors on the night. Reliever Tyler Alexander took the loss, falling to 4-12 after allowing two runs in 2 1/3 innings. Shortstop Colson Montgomery missed his second straight game with soreness in his left side, further depleting a White Sox team already sliding in the standings.