Gutsy Yankees Clinch Postseason Birth In Walk-Off Fashion

The Yankees went out to a quick 1-0 lead against Chicago’s Shane Smith in the second inning following an Austin Wells double down the line. The team further threatened damage but was limited to one run after a Cody Bellinger flyout.

Scoring remained limited until the White Sox took the lead in the sixth inning after a two-run home run by rookie shortstop Colson Montgomery off New York starter Luis Gil. The 27-year-old reigning Rookie of the Year finished the inning without further damage despite an Edgar Quero single afterwards.

Anthony Vople and Wells started off the bottom of the ninth for the Yankees with back-to-back singles before Trent Grisham grounded into a double play. With Bellinger batting after an Aaron Judge walk, Chicago pitcher Brandon Eisert threw a wild pitch to the backstop that scored Volpe.

Utilityman Jose Caballero pinch-hit for first baseman Ben Rice, who went three for four on the evening. The trade deadline acquisition poked a 2-2 pitch from Steven Wilson in front of center fielder Michael A. Taylor, scoring Judge from second.

Chisholm Jr., Gil, Bullpen Play Big Roles

Despite Judge and Giancarlo Stanton going for a combined zero for six with three walks, second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Gil both stepped up. The second baseman went three for three with a stolen base throughout the game, but was picked off first base later in the game.

Gil, vying for a rotation spot in a postseason run, pitched well through six innings. Despite a wild pitch and a pickoff throw that ran errant, he struck out three and walked two while surrendering four hits. Fernando Cruz, Tim Hill, and Luke Weaver limited the White Sox to three hits after the sixth inning.

Weaver earned the win after tossing a near-perfect 1.1 inning outing, while Eisert was tagged with the loss.

Looking Ahead

The Yankees will face Chicago two more times at home before finishing the season with a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles. Meanwhile, Toronto faces off against the Boston Red Sox, including tough matches against Garrett Crochet and Brayan Bello.

The AL East currently remains undetermined, with Boston also remaining in the hunt. The Blue Jays fell to the Red Sox 4-1 on Tuesday night, following a dominant performance by Lucas Giolito and the bullpen. The loss marks the fifth in six games for Toronto, including a series loss to the Kansas City Royals.

New York is currently riding a warm streak in September, going 12-7 during the month, including key series wins against the Red Sox and Blue Jays. They also took three out of four from their recent road series against the Orioles, along with two out of three from the Houston Astros.

Max Fried (18-5; 2.92 ERA) will take the ball on Wednesday against the White Sox, while Carlos Rodon is expected to pitch on Thursday. It remains unclear who will be the starting pitchers for the three-game series against Baltimore.

The Yankees currently hold a 26% chance to win the division, according to Fangraphs. They also hold a 14.4% chance to win the World Series outright.