Juan Soto launched three home runs and drove in four runs and Nestor Cortes pitched seven shutout innings to lift the visiting New York Yankees past the Chicago White Sox 4-1 on Tuesday.
Soto delivered his sixth multi-home run game of the season and first three-homer game of his career. He smacked a two-run blast in the third inning and solo shots in the fifth and seventh as New York took a half-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles atop the American League East.
Chicago rookie right-hander Jonathan Cannon surrendered Soto’s first two long balls en route to losing for the fourth time in his past six starts. Fraser Ellard yielded the third homer.
Cannon (2-6) allowed three runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings. He walked three, hit one batter and struck out four.
One night after thumping the Yankees 12-2 behind a season-high totals in runs and hits (18), the White Sox struggled to mount an attack Tuesday. Cortes (6-10) limited them to three hits and no walks while striking out nine.
Mark Leiter Jr. issued two walks before Luis Robert Jr. hit an RBI single with two outs in the eighth to draw Chicago within the final margin. Tommy Kahnle recorded the last out of the eighth but left after allowing a walk and a double to start the ninth.
Jake Cousins, working around a one-out walk that loaded the bases, picked up his first career save. He fanned Brooks Baldwin to end the game.
Cortes retired the first 11 batters he faced, including six by strikeout, before Andrew Benintendi singled with two outs in the fourth.
Baldwin doubled to lead off the sixth and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, but the White Sox couldn’t score. Robert struck out swinging before Benintendi flied out to center.
Cortes has beaten the White Sox twice this season, allowing one run (which was unearned) in 14 combined innings.
Aaron Judge had two hits for the Yankees.
New York defeated Chicago for the fourth time in five tries to clinch the season series with one game left.
The White Sox have lost 21 of 23 since the All-Star break.
–Field Level Media
