Yanks Win 5th Straight Led by Big G, Rodon, Judge. NY 5 ChiSox 3

September 26, 2025 paperbacklou 2025 0
Giancarlo Stanton with a bases-clearing, 3-RBI double.

Aaron Judge went 2 for 3 with 2 walks to raise his MLB-leading average to .330; Giancarlo Stanton ripped a bases-clearing, 3-RBI double to put the Yanks ahead 4-3 in the 5th; and Carlos Rodon and the bullpen made that stick for a 5-3 win over the White Sox on a warm, HUMID Thursday night in the Bronx.

The win enabled the Yanks to stay tied for 1st with the Blue Jays, which beat Boston. NY still needs to climb a game ahead of Toronto to avoid the Wild Card series, as Toronto holds the tiebreaker for the division lead. The Yanks did clinch home field in a Wild Card series. There are 3 games left in the season.

“Great but that’s not the world we’re even living in right now,” said manager Aaron Boone when told the Yanks clinched the home field for any wild card series. “We need to try to win every game and that’s our focus, and keeping it like that. Now that you say that — Great — but it’s on to Baltimore now and a really good pitcher (Trevor Rogers) coming in to face us tomorrow.”

On Rodon, Boone said he pitched “Good. Not his best stuff necessarily. But I think he pitched really well. It was only the (Michael) Taylor Homerun that got him. I thought he was really effective while not having his best stuff.”

NY is now 91-68, tied with Toronto for 1st and 4 games ahead of Boston with 3 games to go. The White Sox fall to 58-101.

1. Judge Double Helps Yanks Take 1-0 Lead in 1st

Aaron Judge came into the game with a .328 batting average, while Jacob Wilson of Oakland had already gone 0-3 in the afternoon to lower his average from .315 to .313. Just a week ago, the two were in a virtual tie at .317, Judge ahead by a hair.

And Judge got things started right away with a double to left off Davis Martin, sending Trent Grisham — who led off the game with a single — to 3rd.

Cody Bellinger walked to load the bases, and Ben Rice hit a dribbler down 1st for an out — the run scoring. NY 1 ChiSox 0.

The Yanks looked to do more damage with runners on 2nd and 3rd and only 1 out — but Giancarlo Stanton struck out and Jazz Chisholm Jr. grounded out.

2. Rodon Good — Coughs Up 2-Run HR in 4th

Carlos Rodon — sweating already on the warm (75 degrees) incredibly HUMID night — gave the run right back in the top of the 2nd. He allowed a leadoff single by Miguel Vargas and hit Kyle Teel with a pitch to put runners on 1st and 2nd with nobody out. Chicago then moved the runners — a sacrifice bunt by Michael Taylor and sac fly to center by Corey Julks. NY 1 ChiSox 1.

Rodon rebounded, striking out the last batter of the 2nd for his 200th strikeout of the year, then threw a 1-2-3 inning in the 3rd.

But in the 4th, he walked Vargas with 1 out, and with 2 outs Michael Taylor hit a 2-run HR to right center for a 3-1 Chicago lead.

Rodon again rebounded, throwing a 1-2-3 inning in the 5th.

Montgomery Baserunning Gives Yanks Gift

In the 6th — with the Yanks back up 4-3 — Rodon allowed a leadoff double to ChiSox stud shortstop Colson Montgomery. But Rodon got next batter Edgar Quero to hit a grounder to Anthony Volpe at shortstop — and Volpe threw to 3rd to easily nail Montgomery standing up — a bad bit of baserunning by Montgomery.

Rodon then got a line out, and struck out star young catcher Kyle Teel on 3 straight nasty sliders to end the inning and his outing.

Rodon’s line: 6 IP, 4 hits, 3 runs, 5 K’s, 1 walk. He wins to go 18-9 3.09.

“Good enough,” said Rodon afterwards when asked how well he thought he pitched. “Just try to attack the zone. Obviously a couple of pitches I’d like to have back. But happy with the win.”

3. Giancarlo 3-RBI Double Gives Yanks 4-3 Lead in 5th

The Yanks loaded the bases again on Davis Martin in the 2nd on a leadoff single by Austin Wells, a 1-out single by Ryan McMahon, and a 2-out intentional walk to Aaron Judge — but Cody Bellinger grounded out to end the threat.

Then Davis settled down and pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 3rd and 4th.

By that time Yanks were down 3-1 after Rodon gave up the 2-run HR to Michael Taylor in the top of the 4th — and with Toronto beating Boston 6-0 at that time, things were not looking good for NY.

But in the bottom of the 5th, Aaron Judge again started things going with a 1-out single to left (raising his average to .331). Cody Bellinger followed with a single to right and Davis Martin was relieved by 31-year-old, 6’3 lefty Tyler Gilbert to face lefty Ben Rice.

Rice worked a 6-pitch walk to load the bases, and Giancarlo Stanton — who struck out in the 1st with runners on 2nd and 3rd and 1 out — this time RIPPED A 109-MPH SHOT past 3rd baseman Curtis Mead into left — clearing the bases for 3 runs and a 4-3 Yankee lead!

4. Yankee Offense Kept Peppering Away

The Yanks loaded the bases again in the 6th amidst being robbed of a big inning by Chicago’s centerfielder Derek Hill.

Tyler Gilbert hit Ryan McMahon with 1 out, then threw a wild pitch to move McMahon to 2nd. Trent Grisham then hit a line drive to center — Derek Hill made a tremendous diving catch for the 2nd out.

The White Sox then intentionally walked Aaron Judge again, and Cody Bellinger worked a walk behind him to load the bases — but Ben Rice flied out to left.

5. Weaver Good

That sent the game to the top of the 7th with NY holding a 4-3 lead. And Luke Weaver kept it right there — fly out, fly out, groundout for a 1-2-3 inning.

5. Wells RBI Double Gives Yanks Insurance in 7th

And then the Yanks got a Huge insurance run in the bottom of the 7th. Giancarlo Stanton worked a leadoff walk off reliever M Vasil, and was pinch-run for by the fastest player on the Yanks — Jasson Dominguez. Jazz Chisholm Jr. grounded out, moving Dominguez to 2nd.

And with 1 out, Austin Wells ripped a shot off the centerfield wall for an RBI double and 5-3 NY lead.

6. Devin In and Out of Trouble in 8th — Helped by Bellinger

Devin Williams came through again in the 8th — striking out the first 2 batters, then walking stud shortstop Colson Montgomery and allowing a single to Edgar Quero — but getting Vargas to line out to left on a splendid running catch by Cody Bellinger.

7. Bednar the 1-2-3 Save

And in the 9th, David Bednar kept the score 5-3 with a no-agita, 1-2-3 save — groundout, groundout, strike out for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401697282

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