CHICAGO — A week of laughers gave way to a nail-biter on Saturday night.
And yet, the Yankees winning streak remains alive and well.
After a small-ball approach did not work in the 10th inning, the Yankees strung an old-fashioned rally together in the top of the 11th to capture their seventh straight win, 5-3 over the White Sox at Rate Field.
Cody Bellinger, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Anthony Volpe all went the other way for run-scoring hits — including bloops from Bellinger and Volpe — off lefty reliever Tyler Alexander to lift the Yankees (76-60) in dramatic fashion after Devin Williams had blown a 2-1 lead in the seventh inning.
Trent Grisham scores during the 11th inning of the Yankees’ win Aug. 30. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“That was awesome. That was a lot of fun to be a part of,” said catcher Austin Wells, who had put the Yankees ahead in the seventh inning with a home run. “For us, we’re just playing our game and guys are moving the lineup over. In extra innings, the guys that came in out of the bullpen were lights out, just put us in a position to win that game.”
In relief of David Bednar, who threw two scoreless frames (including stranding the winning run at third base in the bottom of the 10th), Camilo Doval retired the White Sox (48-88) in order in the 11th, allowing the automatic runner to score but nothing else.
With the Blue Jays losing again, the Yankees pulled within two games of them for the division lead — the closest they have been since the All-Star break — after trailing by 6 ¹/₂ games just a week ago.
Cody Bellinger drives in a run during the Yankees’ Aug. 30 win. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
They also gained another game on the Red Sox, now leading them by 1 ¹/₂ games for the top AL wild-card spot.
“We’re playing well. We got to keep it going,” manager Aaron Boone said. “This is a good win to get, this was a gritty one after pulling away in the first two with big numbers [a combined 20-6]. To find a way to get this one done is big, but we’ll enjoy it here for five minutes and it’s another big one [Sunday].”
Before Saturday, the Yankees had won their past six games by a combined score of 53-16.
Cam Schlittler throws a pitch during the Yankees’ Aug. 30 win against the White Sox. Imagn Images
But they got solo homers from Aaron Judge and Wells, six strong innings of one-run ball from rookie Cam Schlittler and then did enough in the 11th inning to keep their hot streak against bottom-feeders rolling.
In the bottom of the 10th, the Yankees came within a few inches of not being able to win it in the 11th.
After throwing a scoreless ninth, Bednar came back out for the bottom of the 10th and began by getting a groundout that moved the automatic runner to third base.
Austin Wells and Camilo Doval react after the Yankees defeated the White Sox on Aug. 30. Getty Images
The Yankees then pulled José Caballero in from right field to use a five-man infield against Lenyn Sosa, who nearly won it with a fly ball down the right field line before it landed just foul.
“I was blowing to try to help it get foul,” Wells joked.
In a two-man outfield, Grisham was chasing the ball from right-center field, but his only chance was to let it drop because even if he caught it, he would not have been able to throw out the runner that would have tagged from third.
Cody Bellinger is tagged out at home plate during the Yankees’ win over the White Sox on Aug. 30. AP
Bednar eventually struck out Sosa before getting a fly out to send the game to the 11th.
Pinch hitter Paul Goldschmidt led off with a fly out that moved the automatic runner to third before the White Sox intentionally walked Judge.
Bellinger came up next and sawed off an inside pitch for a perfectly placed bloop single into left field to go ahead 3-2.
“Stayed inside it and obviously just wanted it to get heavy, wanted it to drop as fast as possible,” Bellinger said.
Austin Wells hits a home run during the Yankees’ Aug. 30 win against the White Sox. Imagn Images
Chisholm followed with a line drive the other way for an RBI double before Volpe blooped an RBI double of his own into right field.
“Jazz’s swing was excellent, because Alexander is tough left-on-left,” Boone said. “Really good swing going the other way there. Good at-bats to be able to pile on there.”
Volpe had laid down a sacrifice bunt to lead off the 10th to move Wells to third, but he was then thrown out trying to score on a ground ball to second, which killed the inning.
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But thanks to Bednar and perhaps some wind in the bottom of the 10th, the Yankees got another chance to win it and did not miss.
“Things can change quickly [in the standings],” Wells said. “We’re just going to go play every single day and at the end, we’re confident we’re going to be in a good spot.”