Yankees 4, White Sox 2: Stanton, Judge power Cortes to victory

Our own Nick Power talked today about how important it is for the Yankees to take care of business against struggling teams. Tonight, buoyed by another outstanding home start from Nestor Cortes and the majestic power of Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge, the Bronx Bombers took the opener from the White Sox.

Nasty Nestor worked himself into and out of trouble in the first. A pair of singles and a stolen base put runners on first and third with one out. Cortes buckled down from there, inducing a shallow fly ball to Juan Soto then an easy can of corn to Judge from former Yankee Andrew Benintendi.

Mike Clevinger retired the first two Yankees he faced, though Soto came tantalizingly close to a solo shot to right field. The Chicago starter then fell behind Aaron Judge, 3-0. He painted a fastball inside to get a strike. But he decided to double dip. And the Captain was having none of it:

1-0, Yankees. For anyone tracking, that’s Judge’s seventh extra-base hit in the last two-plus games, including two monstrous home runs. Does a 175 wRC+ on the season (after that dinger) mean Judgey is all the way back? I think it might.

The second inning was much improved for Nestor, who retired the side in order. Unfortunately, in the third, the Yankees’ infield defense decided to take a break. First, a terrible Oswaldo Cabrera throw to first ended in a two-base error. Then, Austin Wells came up short on a throw to third that would have nailed the ChiSox runner trying to steal. Andrew Vaughn roped a line drive into right field, tying the game at one. That was the first run that the Yankees have allowed since the first inning of the first game against the Twins on Tuesday.

The Yanks recaptured the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Judge again worked a full count against Clevinger, who had the good sense to just walk the man. After a passed ball moved Judge to second, Alex Verdugo ripped a ball into right field. The big fella motored around for the second run of the game and Dugie slid safely into second.

Next up was Giancarlo Stanton, who’s been outstanding with RISP so far this season at 12-for-35 with 15 RBI. After looking at what seemed a very hittable fastball at the bottom of the zone, G smashed an 80-mph slider to left center field. Off the bat, I think everyone thought it was a two-run dinger. By a matter of inches, Stanton had to settle for a run-scoring double to make it a 3-1 game.

In 27 other parks, that ball was gone. Only the humidor-controlled Chase Field and Coors Field also would have contained that shot.

Nestor looked like he was going to give at least one of those runs back in the top of the fifth with a leadoff walk and a single. But thanks in part to a stellar pickoff move that had the runner at second DOA, Cortes escaped unscathed.

Quietly, Stanton has been really good this season. And in the bottom of the sixth, he continued swinging a hot stick.

This time, there was no doubt.

No wall was containing this monstrosity. It went 417 feet to left field, and the Yankees led 4-1. For Big G, that’s 10 homers on the season, second on the club. He joins Judge in double digits, giving New York the only pair of teammates with at least 10 dingers. Everyone who had Stanton with a 129 wRC+ past the quarter pole of the season, raise your hands. That also marks 412 career longballs for Stanton, tying him with former Yankee Alfonso Soriano for 55th on the all-time leaderboard. May there be many more.

Nestor came back out for the seventh and breezed through the bottom of the Pale Hose order to bring the bats back out. In the bottom half, Anthony Volpe notched an infield single, notable because it stretched his hitting streak to 10 games.

Although Cortes’ pitch count was in good shape, Aaron Boone opted to go to Ian Hamilton in the eighth with the top of the Twins order looming. Taking out Cortes might have been fine, but Hamilton in particular didn’t work out. Judge didn’t help matters with some shaky defense in center but back-to-back hits put a second Chicago run on the board. Chicago went to their bench and brought in Gavin Sheets to face Hamilton.

A double into the gap left runners on second and third with one out, and Boone trotted out to get the ball from Hamilton in favor of Caleb Ferguson. These are the times that try men’s souls. Thankfully, Ferguson proved up to the challenge. A strikeout and a lineout to Soto in right stranded the runners.

It was an encouraging outing from a guy who has struggled early this season.

After a scoreless bottom of the eighth, Clay Holmes came in to try and nail it down — new entrance music and all. While he did allow a runner via a walk, he remained perfect, whiffing Tommy Pham to end this and preserve his 0.00 ERA through the first month and a half of 2024. All around, a good win, and another excellent performance from a Yankee starter.

Join us tomorrow afternoon as the Yankees try to keep the good times rolling. First pitch in the Bronx is 1:05 pm EDT. Luis Gil, who’s been one of the best stories of the entire season for New York, faces off with Brad Keller.

Box Score