Odor, Cortes help Yankees beat White Sox 5-3
CHICAGO - Rougned Odor hit a two-run homer, Nestor Cortes pitched six solid innings and the New York Yankees beat the White Sox 5-3 on Sunday.
Luke Voit also hit a two-run homer in the ninth for New York, which went 5-1 in the season series against Chicago. Cortes (1-1) allowed one run and seven hits in his first win since Aug. 6, 2019, versus Baltimore.
New York lost the series opener Thursday night on Tim Anderson's two-run homer in the ninth in the Field of Dreams game in Iowa. Following a day off, the Yankees responded with two straight wins.
New York has won 10 of its last 11 series. It is a season-high 13 games over .500 at 65-52.
Manager Aaron Boone said he didn't believe the team was going to break down even when it was 41-40 on July 3.
"I really felt like with this group there is an underlying confidence that has existed even in our worst of days this year," he said. "Maybe at times, maybe not rightfully so, but I do believe they always believed we were going to turn this around and we were going to get them rolling. I don't think that belief ever wavered even in the worst of days."
Andrew Vaughn hit his 14th homer for the AL Central-leading White Sox, who have dropped four of five. Lucas Giolito (9-9) lasted just four innings, throwing 101 pitches.
"Believe me, we were hunting innings, but we tried to be smart and used discretion to protect our outstanding starters then the bullpen came in and held them," White Sox manager Tony La Russa said.
Chicago rallied in the ninth. Zack Collins hit an RBI double before Lucas Luetge was replaced by Wandy Peralta.
Anderson made it 5-3 when he drove in Luis Robert with an infield hit, but Peralta got César Hernández to bounce into a game-ending double play. It was Peralta's fourth save.
Hernández, who won a Gold Glove last year at second base, also committed three errors. After Odor connected in the second, Hernández had a throwing error that allowed DJ LeMahieu to score from first.
Giolito was charged with three runs, two earned, and six hits. He struck out eight and walked three.
La Russa was ejected after Eloy Jiménez struck out looking against Jonathan Loaisiga for the second out of the eighth.
Jiménez didn't like the call, jumped up in disbelief and had words for umpire Mike Estabrook. La Russa then came out of the dugout and was quickly ejected. It was La Russa's second ejection of the season and 90th of his career.
"I wasn't vulgar, but I did challenge his calls and you get ejected for that," La Russa said.