Yankees sweep White Sox to stay tied with Blue Jays atop AL East
NEW YORK (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton grounded a go-ahead, three-run double and the New York Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox 5-3 on Thursday night to remain tied with Toronto atop the AL East going into the final three games of the regular season.
Carlos Rodón (18-9) pitched six steady innings and Austin Wells added an RBI double off the right-center fence in the seventh as the playoff-bound Yankees finished a three-game sweep to move a season-high 23 games above .500.
New York, which has won five straight and eight of nine, is assured home-field advantage in the Wild-card Series if it can't edge the Blue Jays for the division title. The teams share the best record in the American League at 91-68.
Toronto topped Boston 6-1 on Thursday night and holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Yankees after winning the season series 8-5.
New York hosts last-place Baltimore this weekend, while the Blue Jays play at home against Tampa Bay.
Michael A. Taylor launched a two-run homer off Rodón to give the White Sox a 3-1 lead in the fourth.
New York loaded the bases with one out in the fifth and Stanton hit a sharp grounder off reliever Tyler Gilbert (4-2) past third baseman Curtis Mead, who came up empty on a backhand swipe at the ball, allowing the Yankees to take a 4-3 lead.
Luke Weaver and Devin Williams each worked a scoreless inning before David Bednar got three quick outs for his 26th save in 29 chances.
With two runners aboard in the eighth, Cody Bellinger made a running catch in deep left-center to end the threat.
Chicago (58-101) has lost five straight and 11 of 12.
Key moment
White Sox rookie Colson Montgomery doubled leading off the sixth — then got thrown out easily at third on a routine grounder to shortstop in a 4-3 game.
Key stats
Rodón reached 200 strikeouts in a season for the second time. He had 237 with San Francisco in 2022. ... Yankees slugger Aaron Judge received two intentional walks to give him 36 this year, setting an AL record since they were first tracked in 1955. He went 2 for 3, raising his major league-leading batting average to .330.
Up next
Chicago RHP Yoendrys Gómez (3-3, 4.92 ERA) starts Friday night at Washington against fellow rookie Cade Cavalli (3-1, 4.23).
Yankees rookie RHP Will Warren (8-8, 4.35 ERA) faces Baltimore LHP Trevor Rogers (9-2, 1.35) in the Bronx.