CHICAGO — Juan Soto achieved his first career three-homer game, while Nestor Cortes pitched seven scoreless innings, leading the New York Yankees to a 4-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night, securing sole possession of the AL East lead.
Soto hit a two-run homer off starter Jonathan Cannon in the third inning and followed it with a leadoff homer in the fifth. He capped his performance with his 33rd home run of the season in the seventh inning, a drive to right field that extended the Yankees’ lead to 4-0.
“Just a great night by a great player,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. “I feel like in watching Juan I’m watching one of the best seasons I’ve ever seen.”
Soto had the opportunity to tie the major league record for most home runs in a game with four, but he walked in his final at-bat in the ninth inning, smiling after missing a 3-0 pitch slightly outside the strike zone.
“That’s why he’s the greatest hitter in the game,” teammate Aaron Judge remarked. “You leave a pitch in the zone, he’ll do damage. But if you don’t throw to him, he’ll help the next guy do his thing.”
Cortes (6-10) bounced back from a tough outing against the Angels five days earlier, allowing just three hits and striking out nine, matching his season high.
“He’s just nasty Nestor. You’re always expecting something like that from him,” Soto commented.
Luis Robert Jr. broke the Yankees’ shutout bid with an eighth-inning RBI single off Mark Leiter Jr. Jake Cousins secured the final three outs for his first career save, including two outs with the bases loaded.
The victory moved the Yankees a half-game ahead of second-place Baltimore, who lost to the Washington Nationals earlier in the evening.
“Cortes was tough tonight. He was throwing the ball well, mixing it up, getting his spots,” said White Sox interim manager Grady Sizemore. “He really did a good job.”
Cannon struggled, allowing five hits, three walks, and striking out four in 4 2/3 innings. The White Sox, currently at the bottom of the league standings with a record of 29-92, recorded only five hits after a previous night where they scored 18 runs in a victory. They have now lost 31 of their last 36 games.
Judge went 2-for-3 with two singles and two walks, bringing his career home run total to 299.
Soto’s performance marked the 40th three-homer game in Yankees history, including postseason games. This was the second occurrence this year, with rookie Ben Rice achieving the feat on July 6 against Boston.
“It means a lot. It’s really fun,” Soto expressed. “It’s really cool to see it and even better to get the win out of it.”
At just 25 years old, Soto has recorded 23 career multi-homer games, trailing only Hall of Fame slugger Mel Ott, who had 24 by age 25.
In his last 28 games, Soto boasts a .351 batting average, with 12 home runs and a 1.233 OPS.
Before the game, Boone announced that third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. is likely heading to the injured list due to a left elbow injury sustained during a slide in Monday’s game. The club anticipates having sufficient information to make a decision by Wednesday.
In injury updates, Yankees catcher Jose Trevino (left quadriceps strain) was set to make another rehab start for Double-A Somerset, while right-hander Ian Hamilton (lat strain) plans to throw a live bullpen session this weekend.
For the White Sox, Robert returned to the lineup after a day off, and the team remains hopeful about the return of third baseman Yoán Moncada (adductor strain), although a clear timetable for his return is still uncertain as he has not played since early April.
Looking ahead, Yankees rookie Will Warren (0-1, 11.17 ERA) and right-hander Davis Martin (0-1, 3.65) will both make their third starts of the season in the series finale on Wednesday night.