The Yankees offense continued to roll on Wednesday night in the Bronx, making life easy for starting pitcher Carlos Rodón in the team's fourth straight win, 10-5 the final score.
For the second straight night, all nine starters in the New York batting order got at least one hit.
Here are the takeaways....
-New York Knicks stars Josh Hart and NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson threw out the first pitch for tonight's game to celebrate the team's NBA title.
-Rodónallowed a two-out double to potential All-Star corner infielder Miguel Vargas, but bounced back to win a 12-pitch at-bat against Colson Montgomery to strand Vargas at second base and end the top of the first inning.
-Amed Rosario responded in the bottom half of the first with a two-out double of his own, and Cody Bellinger compounded the damage with a home run into the right field seats, giving the Yankees an early 2-0 lead.
-Rodóngot himself into some trouble in the top of the second inning, allowing a walk and a single before recording an out. He worked out of the jam without allowing a run, forcing a ground ball double-play before recording a strikeout for the third out.
-Left-handed White Sox starter Anthony Kay lost control of a breaking ball, which struck Jose Caballero on the right foot. Yankees manager Aaron Boone left the dugout to check on his left-fielder, who remained in the game.
-Shortstop Anthony Volpe was keen to test out Caballero's legs, bringing the speedy utility player all the way around to score from first base with an RBI triple into the gap in left-center. Then, catcher Ali Sanchez poked a soft single into right-center to score Volpe from third, increasing the Yanks' lead to 4-0.
-The White Sox immediately responded to keep the ballgame within touching distance in the third inning. With two men on base, Montgomery took a hanging Rodón slider deep with two outs and two strikes in the count, changing the scoreboard to 4-3. Rodón was visibly frustrated on the mound, but got out of the inning one batter later.
-Bellinger led off the bottom of the third with a stand-up double, his second extra-base hit of the night. Still with nobody out, Bellinger advanced to third base on a wild pitch, but a Jasson Dominguez groundout, a Jazz Chisholm Jr. strikeout, and a Jose Caballero infield pop-out on a hapless bunt attempt squandered the run-scoring opportunity.
-Rodón was resilient in his final inning of work, unfazed by a leadoff double allowed to Chase Meidroth, by recording three straight outs to hold the 4-3 lead. He exited the game having pitched five full innings, allowing seven hits and three walks, but while striking out seven batters. All three runs allowed for the lefty came on Montgomery's aforementioned homer.
-The Yankees bats continued to sizzle in the bottom of the fifth, knocking around lefty reliever Sean Newcomb. Cody Bellinger led off with a line drive single, putting him a triple away from the cycle. Dominguez's double into the right field corner put runners on second and third, and two batters later, Jose Caballero singled them both home to extend the lead to 6-3. Anthony Volpe drilled Newcomb with a comebacker that struck the pitcher on his left arm, forcing him to exit the game, while Volpe reached first base on a fielder's choice.
-Newcomb's replacement, rookie right-hander Tyler Davis, was unable to limit the damage for Chicago. The Yankees have been ruthless at the plate with two outs all season, and it was no different in this instance, as Ali Sanchez singled Volpe to third base before Paul Goldschmidt joined the hit party with an opposite-field frozen rope that left the yard for a three-run home run. The fifth inning ended with the score 9-3 in New York's favor.
-Chisholm Jr. was the final Yankee in the order to record a hit tonight, but came through in a big way, clobbering a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning and pad the lead to 10-3.
-Ben Rice sent a jolt into one with runners on the corners and two outs, but former Yankee Everson Pereira made a spectacular leaping grab on the run in left-center field. Pereira was shaken up after the play, as he collided with the outfield wall, but the White Sox center fielder held onto the ball for the third out, ending the seventh inning. He was quickly removed from the game.
-Colson Montgomery added another home run to his tally in the top of the eighth, his 19th of the season, a long drive to center field off of Yankees reliever Paul Blackburn, bringing the score to 10-4.
-Sam Antonacci took Yankees righty Jake Bird deep in the ninth inning, but Bird retired the next three White Sox batters in order to secure the 10-5 win.
Game MVP: Cody Bellinger
It was Cody Bellinger who stole the show with a stellar 3-for-4 night plus a walk, racking up eight total bases and two RBI.
Highlights
What's next
The Yankees, who now lead the AL East by 3.5 games at 45-27, will go for the three-game sweep of the White Sox on Friday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
LHP Ryan Weathers (2-5, 4.36 ERA) and RHP Sean Burke (3-4, 4.15 ERA) will square off on the mound.
