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 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.
___
AP MLB:
