The Yankees left Wrigley Field with a 2-0 win over the Cubs on Friday, but the real hinge point wasn’t the two solo home runs. It was the quiet stretch of relief work that locked the door.
Will Warren gave New York exactly what it needed from the start. He worked 6 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing four hits, walking none and striking out seven on 88 pitches. He earned the win against Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga, and for the first time in his career he put together a start of at least six innings without allowing a run.
That left the game in the hands of Paul Blackburn with two outs in the seventh and a little danger hanging in the air. Blackburn handled it without a scratch.
He got the final out of the seventh, then came back for the eighth and struck out the side. All three of those strikeouts came on his changeup, and he needed just 19 pitches to record four outs.
David Bednar finished it off in the ninth for the save.
The bullpen’s work preserved New York’s 11th shutout of the season, which is the most in the American League and second in the majors. The Yankees staff did it in tidy fashion, too: 118 pitches for 27 outs, four hits allowed, and no Cubs runner ever crossed the plate.
New York’s offense, though, was a different story. The only runs came on two-out solo shots - one from Amed Rosario and one from rookie Spencer Jones.
Rosario’s homer gave the Yankees their eighth player with 10 or more home runs this season, the most in the majors. Jones added another one in a game where the long ball was doing all the heavy lifting.
Everything else was thin. The Yankees finished with four hits and went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position. In the eighth, Jones and Austin Wells opened the inning with back-to-back walks, but the next three Yankees couldn’t move them, and both runners stayed put.
That’s been the storyline around this lineup: plenty of power, not much else. The homers keep showing up, but the situational hitting has gone missing.
Still, the win mattered. New York improved to 62-48 and moved within 2 1/2 games of the Rays in the AL East with the trade deadline set for Monday.
The pitching has been carrying its weight. The offense, missing Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger, keeps leaning on the fence.
For one afternoon, that was enough. Two solo swings, a breakthrough start, and Blackburn’s escape act carried the Yankees out of Chicago with a shutout.
In Other News...
Yankees Deadline Push Now Hinges On One Catching Upgrade
The Yankees are still trying to make one more meaningful move before the deadline, and the most interesting part of their search has centered on catcher. They want a right-handed bat behind the plate, a sensible fit for a roster that is already being pushed toward added bullpen help and another right-handed hitter elsewhere, and they have not been shy about working the market with that kind of urgency.
Tyler Stephenson, Adley Rutschman and Ryan Jeffers have all come up as possible answers, which shows how broad the search has become and how competitive the market is likely to be. For a club intent on upgrading in more than one spot, the catching pursuit may end up shaping how the rest of the deadline unfolds, especially if the front office has to decide how far it wants to go to land the right fit. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees May Have A Trade Answer For Their Injury Hit Lineup
The Yankees lineup has been strained by the injuries to Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger, and the front office has been doing what it can to survey a thin trade market for help. Catchers and infielders are scarce in particular, which makes the search more difficult and pushes the conversation toward whatever productive bats might actually become available before the deadline.
One name worth watching is Randy Arozarena, a player the Yankees know well enough to appreciate as a possible fit in a lineup looking for more punch. The Seattle outfielder has put together strong offensive numbers this season, and his situation could make him one of the more interesting names to track if New York decides it needs to act on the market rather than wait for reinforcements from within. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Fans Just Got A Yankees Trade Twist To Process
The Yankees are adding another wrinkle to their infield and batting-order picture, with ESPNs Jeff Passan reporting they are reportedly trading for Nationals first baseman Luis Garcia Jr. It is the kind of move that immediately invites lineup speculation because Garcia gives New York another capable left-handed bat, and any extra offense around the middle of the order tends to matter in October-minded planning.
But the fit is not as simple as just slotting in one more name and moving on. Garcias arrival adds depth, yet it also brings a real juggling act for the Yankees as they try to sort out playing time and keep the lineup balanced without creating unnecessary friction on the bench. The upside is obvious, but the next question is how New York makes all of the pieces work once everyone is actually in the mix. [Read more 🡒]