The Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees opened a four-game series Monday night at Yankee Stadium with plenty of drama, but it was New York that walked away with a 9 to 5 win in the series opener.
Chicago came out swinging. Randal Grichuk led off the game with a double to left field, and the Sox turned that into a three-run first inning against Yankees starter Max Fried.
Colson Montgomery drove in the first run with a single, then scored himself on a two-out triple off the bat of Braden Montgomery that rattled off the wall in left.
Chisholm and Sánchez Swing the Momentum
New York answered right back. Jazz Chisholm Jr. delivered the key blow of a four-run fourth inning, ripping a two-run double off Chris Murphy to tie the game. Chisholm added a heads-up stolen base later in the inning and came around to score on a groundout by Spencer Jones.
Chicago wasn’t done, though. In the bottom of the fifth, Miguel Vargas doubled and scored when Colson Montgomery lined a single off reliever Tim Hill, knotting the score at four apiece.
It was Montgomery’s second RBI of the night and part of a three-hit performance for the young shortstop, who has quickly become one of the more dangerous bats in Chicago’s lineup this season.
The tie didn’t last. Ben Rice broke it open with a go-ahead single in the seventh, and the Yankees blew the game open with four more runs in the eighth.
Ali Sánchez capped the outburst with a three-run homer off Sean Newcomb, the first of his career, sealing the win for New York.
Chisholm finished with two hits, two RBI and two stolen bases, while Jasson Domínguez also chipped in two hits and scored twice for the Yankees, who improved to 60 and 46 on the season. The win pulled New York within two and a half games of division-leading Tampa Bay in the American League East.
For Chicago, the loss dropped their record to 55 and 50 and marked their third setback in four games. Starter Noah Schultz struggled early, allowing three runs in just three and a third innings, and three Chicago errors didn’t help matters either.
The series continues Tuesday night, with Gerrit Cole taking the mound for New York against left-hander Anthony Kay for the White Sox.