Cubs beat AL East-leading Yankees 2-1 to avoid a series sweep

Jameson Taillon allowed only one run in six innings and the Chicago Cubs beat the New York Yankees 2-1 on Sunday to avoid a series sweep.

Taillon (10-8) struck out six against his former team. He gave up Anthony Volpe's second-inning, RBI sacrifice fly and allowed six hits.

“I've been dealing with a little bit of this and that lately, and that just means when you're out there, you've just got to execute,” Taillon said. “Maybe you don't have the same stuff you would if you were feeling 110% in April. Here we are in September, deeper in the year. That's when the prep work and scouting and knowing their tendencies (pay off), and then it's just going out there and executing a game.”

New York remained a half-game ahead of second-place Baltimore in the AL East.

Chicago won 10 of 13 games in late August, but had dropped four of five to the Pirates and Yankees during its homestand entering Sunday.

Isaac Paredes singled with the bases loaded in the first against Gerrit Cole (6-4) to drive in both runs. The runs were unearned because of an error by Gleyber Torres, who leads big league second basemen with 17 errors this season.

Cole struck out seven in six innings on his 34th birthday.

The Cubs had just three hits, all off Cole — one apiece from Ian Happ, Dansby Swanson and Paredes. Happ also had two spectacular catches in left field to keep New York from getting extra-base hits.

“He made a big impact on the game today for sure,” manager Craig Counsell said about Happ. “Those were two big plays, two really good defensive plays that can change the game. In a game where both sides were pitching really well, you have to make plays, and we made some big plays.”

Nate Pearson struck out two and Porter Hodge finished off the ninth by striking out Volpe for his fourth save.

It was the first series of at least two games in which the Yankees didn’t hit or allow a home run since Sept. 5-7, 2014, against Kansas City.

Cubs pitcher Julian Merryweather, out since Aug. 26 with right knee tendinitis, pitched a bullpen session Saturday and will go to Triple-A Iowa to throw another bullpen session on Tuesday. Pitcher Justin Steele threw a bullpen session on Saturday and will travel with the team to Los Angeles on Monday. Craig Counsell said Steele is “trending to be back next week.”