Aaron Judge, Joey Gallo lead Yankees to nail-biting win over White Sox

CHICAGO — The Yankees can’t figure out how to close games, but they managed to escape with a win on Saturday night.

After Chad Green blew a save in the ninth and Zack Britton loaded the bases with one out in the 10th, Albert Abreu preserved an 7-5 win by getting pinch-hitter Seby Zavata to line out and Thursday’s hero — Tim Anderson — to ground into a forceout to end it.

It came after Britton imploded again, as he started the 10th by getting Yoan Moncada to line out to right. But he walked Brian Goodwin. Luis Robert singled up the middle to score extra runner Eloy Jimenez.

Britton walked Andrew Vaughn on four pitches and the Yankees went to Abreu, who retired the only two batters he faced.

Aaron Judge singled in extra runner Brett Gardner to give the Yankees a one-run lead in the opt of the 10th and Joey Gallo followed with his second homer of the night.

The two-run blast made it 7-4, as the Yankees bailed out Green, who allowed a tying homer to Jose Abreu with two outs and no one on in the bottom of the ninth.

Joey Gallo and Aaron Judge drove in all the runs in the Yankees' 7-5 win over the White Sox.
Joey Gallo and Aaron Judge drove in all the runs in the Yankees’ 7-5 win over the White Sox.
AP (2)

It was a big night for Judge, who also hit a laser homer to center off Craig Kimbrel to lead off the top of the eighth.

He also had a run-scoring double and a sacrifice fly and is 12-for-29 with three doubles, four homers and 12 RBIs in his last seven games.

They took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first against right-hander Dylan Cease, as DJ LeMahieu opened the game with a double down the right field line, moved to third on a deep fly ball to right by Gardner and scored on a Judge sacrifice fly.

Gallo, off to a rough first few weeks with the Yankees, followed with a solo shot down the right field line that snuck over the wall.

It was just Gallo’s second homer as a Yankee. His third came later in the game.

Jameson Taillon entered the game 6-0 with a 2.11 ERA in his previous 10 starts, got in trouble in the bottom of the inning.

He gave a leadoff single to Tim Anderson and Abreu ripped a hit to center. The ball nearly bounced by Gardner, but he was able to barehanded it. Gardner’s throw to second wasn’t strong and Abreu got a double on the play. Anderson then scored on an Eloy Jimenez groundout to make it 2-1.

The White Sox tied it in the second on a homer by Luis Robert.

Judge gave the Yankees the lead again in the third after Gardner hit a two-out triple and Judge delivered a run-scoring double for his second RBI of the game.

Chicago threatened again in the bottom of the inning with a one-out infield single by Cesar Hernandez and a double to left by Abreu that eluded a diving Gallo.

Jimenez hit a shot to left-center, where Gardner chased it down, holding the White Sox to a run.

With Abreu at third, Taillon whiffed Moncada to keep it tied.

Chicago had two on and one out in the fifth with the dangerous Abreu at the plate. Taillon got the first baseman to pop up, but both Kyle Higashioka and Luke Voit appeared to lose the ball in the dusk-colored sky and the ball dropped in foul territory.

Taillon escaped the inning when he got Abreu to hit into a double play.

Taillon lasted one batter into the sixth and was pulled following a leadoff single by Jimenez. Lucas Luetge allowed a hit to Yoan Moncada and both runners advanced on a groundout by Brian Goodwin. After the Yankees walked Robert intentionally, the White Sox sent up pinch-hitter Andrew Vaughn, so the Yankees replaced the lefty Luetge with right-handed Jonathan Loaisiga.

Loaisiga got Vaughn to hit a chopper to third, forcing Jimenez at the plate for the second out. Zack Collins followed with a blast to deep center that Gardner ran down for his second terrific catch of the night.

The Yankees had a chance to take the lead again in the seventh when Tyler Wade singled and stole second with two out before LeMahieu was intentionally walked. But Ryan Tepera struck out Gardner to end the threat.

source: nypost.com