Paxton Effective As Yanks Gain Series Split With 10-3 Rout
CHICAGO (AP) — James Paxton pitched six effective innings, Brett Gardner and Austin Romine each had four RBIs and the New York Yankees cruised past the Chicago White Sox 10-3 on Sunday.
Gardner and Romine, the backup catcher behind Gary Sánchez, each drove in two runs with singles in New York's five-run third. Cameron Maybin added a solo shot in the seventh as the Yankees homered for the 19th straight game, and pulled away to win their second straight and gain a split of the four-game series.
Paxton (4-3) allowed eight hits and allowed two runs for his first win since April 26. The left-hander struck out seven and walked one after being roughed up by the Mets for six runs in 2 2/3 innings last Tuesday.
José Abreu lined a solo shot among three hits and James McCann homered and had two RBIs as the White Sox slipped two games under .500.
Edwin Encarnación, the AL home run leader, will join the Yankees in New York on Monday and is expected to be available in the opener of a three-game series against Tampa Bay. Manager Aaron Boone plans to use the 36-year-old as his team's primary designated hitter.
The Yankees acquired Encarnación in a trade with the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night, adding another slugger to what could be one of the most powerful lineups when Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge return from injuries, starting this week.
Chicago's Odrisamer Despaigne (0-2) allowed seven runs and nine hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings in his second career start.
Abreu's 17th homer, a line shot to left, put Chicago ahead 1-0 in the first.
The Yankees took advantage of Despaigne's wildness in the third to take a 5-1 lead.
New York sent 10 batters to the plate, using three walks and five singles in the rally. All the runs scored with two outs.
Gardner's single drove in two. Gio Urshela followed with an RBI single up the middle. Romine's single to center scored two more.
Romine's double in the fifth made it 7-1 and chased Despaigne.
SOLD OUT
The announced crowd of 37,277 was the third sellout at Guaranteed Rate Field this season.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Yankees: Boone said he expects Stanton to be activated Tuesday after being sidelined since March 31 by biceps, shoulder and calf injuries. Stanton will wrap up a three-game stint with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at Durham, North Carolina, on Sunday night, then travel to New York on Monday. ... Judge, who strained his left oblique in late April, will play in the outfield for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday. ... Boone rested Didi Gregorius on Sunday. Gregorius missed the start of the season after he had Tommy John surgery last October.
White Sox: INF Yoán Moncada returned to the lineup at third base after missing four games with upper back tightness, but the condition flared up and he was replaced by José Rondon in the fifth. ... C Welington Castillo left in the fourth with lower back tightness and was replaced by McCann. ... Dylan Covey, on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, threw a bullpen session on Saturday. Before Sunday's game, Covey said he "took a step in the right direction."
UP NEXT
Yankees: RHP Masahiro Tanaka (4-5, 3.58) takes the mound as New York opens a three-game home series against Tampa Bay. The Rays had not named a starter. Tanaka is 1-2 with a 5.79 ERA in his past three starts.
White Sox: RHP Iván Nova (3-5, 6.28) faces Cubs LHP Cole Hamels (6-2, 2.98) on Tuesday night in the first of a two-game crosstown series at Wrigley Field. Hamels has not allowed an earned run over 22 innings in his past three starts.
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