The Yankees came out swinging, determined to capitalize on a softer stretch of their schedule. Cody Bellinger set the tone early with a two-run homer off Davis Martin in the first inning, his 26th of the season. Not to be outdone, Jazz Chisholm Jr. launched a solo shot in the second, and Ben Rice’s timely RBI single made it 4-0, sending a wave of confidence through the Bronx Bombers’ dugout. The energy was palpable, as New York fans dared to dream of October glory.
But baseball is never without its drama. In the bottom of the second, Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe committed his AL-high 18th error, sparking a White Sox rally. After a walk and a hit batter, Miguel Vargas stepped up and crushed his first career grand slam off Will Warren, tying the game at 4-4 and momentarily stunning the visitors. The South Side crowd roared, but the Yankees’ resilience would not be denied.
With encouragement from captain Aaron Judge, Warren steadied himself, trusting in his team’s ability to pile on runs. In the fifth, a collision between Judge and Vargas at first base led to a costly error for Chicago, allowing the Yankees to retake the lead. Vargas, who had provided the White Sox’s lone highlight, exited with a left wrist contusion—a blow for a team already mired at the bottom of the standings.
The Yankees’ offensive onslaught continued: Chisholm’s sacrifice fly and Bellinger’s double pushed the lead further, and in the eighth, Grisham’s two-run homer—his fourth in five games—put the game out of reach. New York’s bullpen slammed the door, with Fernando Cruz, Luke Weaver, Devin Williams, and Mark Leiter Jr. combining for four perfect innings and seven strikeouts.
For Anthony Volpe, the night was a personal turning point. After a punishing slump, he broke out with two hits, an RBI, and a sacrifice fly, helping his team while hoping to put recent struggles behind him. Manager Aaron Boone expressed optimism, noting Volpe’s importance to the Yankees’ playoff push.
With this victory, the Yankees (74-60) remain just a half-game behind the Red Sox for the top AL wild-card spot and four games behind the Blue Jays in the division race. As Jazz Chisholm Jr. boldly declared, “We want to win the division. We don’t just want to get to the wild-card spot. Right now, it’s just like, we’re going to go out there and win that, and then we’re going to go win the World Series.”
The Yankees have now homered in six straight games, with 18 long balls in that span, tying a Major League record with 33 homers in a 10-game stretch—a feat matched only by the 1977 Red Sox, 2006 Braves, and 2019 Dodgers. As the team rides a crest of momentum, their eyes remain fixed on bigger prizes ahead, undeterred by past struggles against division rivals.
The stage is set for a dramatic final stretch. With Carlos Rodón set to face Yoendrys Gomez in the next matchup, and the Yankees possessing the league’s easiest remaining schedule, every game is an opportunity—and every swing, a chance to write the next chapter in this roller-coaster season. For the Yankees and their fans, hope burns as bright as the lights over Rate Field.