Field Level Media
May 21, 2021
Gleyber Torres hit a game-winning single with nobody out in the bottom of the ninth inning and the New York Yankees eked out a 2-1 victory over the visiting Chicago White Sox on Friday night.
After Aaron Judge and Gio Urshela opened the inning by singling off Evan Marshall (0-2), Torres won it when he hit a first-pitch changeup into left field that easily scored Judge from second.
Torres' fifth career walk-off hit and second this season gave the Yankees their fourth straight win and 10th in 13 games.
The hit occurred after the Yankees escaped the top half of the ninth by turning a triple play on rookie Andrew Vaughn's ground ball.
The White Sox had runners at first and second against Aroldis Chapman (3-0) when Vaughn chopped a 1-1 slider to third baseman Urshela. He stepped on third to retire pinch runner Billy Hamilton, threw to second baseman Rougned Odor, whose throw to first just beat Vaughn to first base.
Torres drove in both runs for the Yankees, who survived striking out 15 times. He hit a homer in the seventh off reliever Michael Kopech to give New York a 1-0 lead after the Yankees fanned 13 times against White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon.
The White Sox tied the game in the eighth off Jonathan Loaisiga when Nick Madrigal hit a bloop single.
In six innings, Rodon allowed two hits and struck out a career-high 13, eclipsing his career high for the second time this season. He struck out 12 against the Detroit Tigers on April 29.
Rodon struck out the first five hitters, and the only two hits he allowed were a one-out single to Miguel Andujar in the third and a leadoff single to Judge in the fourth. He struck out every Yankee at least once except for Odor and Andujar.
Rodon matched the team record for strikeouts against the Yankees, joining Chris Sale (2012), Marv Grissom (1952) and Frank Lange (1910) as the fourth White Sox to get 13 strikeouts against New York.
New York's Jordan Montgomery also set a career high for strikeouts with 11 in seven innings. He allowed four hits as Yoan Moncada and rookie Yermin Mercedes were the only Chicago hitters to reach against him.
Montgomery fanned every White Sox hitter at least once except for Leury Garcia.
--Field Level Media