NEW YORK — The scoreboard at Yankee Stadium showed a 12-2 blowout over the first-place Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night. The box score showed no Aaron Judge. No Giancarlo Stanton. And yet the bats kept roaring.
This wasn’t supposed to happen, at least not according to the narrative that has followed the Yankees all season. Without the reigning American League MVP and one of the most feared sluggers in the game, the lineup was supposed to sputter. Instead, it erupted for 10 runs across the third and fourth innings, turning a 1-1 tie into a laugher before most fans had finished their hot dogs.
The outburst came at the expense of White Sox starter Davis Martin, who entered with a respectable 3.86 ERA but left after allowing seven runs in three-plus innings. Yankees manager Aaron Boone didn’t mince words when asked about the approach.
“Just everyone, really just put together a lot of really good at-bats against him,” Boone said.
The stars of the night weren’t household names. Rookie Spencer Jones launched a missile into the right-field seats in the second inning for his first career home run at Yankee Stadium. The 23-year-old outfielder admitted the moment felt surreal.
“You can visualize what the major leagues are going to be like, but until you’re in there and you see it, the expectation and reality don’t always match up,” Jones said.
Ben Rice followed with his 20th homer of the season — only the second time in his young career he’s reached that milestone. And Paul Goldschmidt, the veteran first baseman who has quietly been heating up, crushed his 10th home run of the year. That’s five dingers in his last 15 games for Goldschmidt, a sign the 37-year-old might be finding his rhythm.
Jose Caballero tacked on a solo shot in the eighth inning off position player Luisangel Acuna, making it 12-2. According to the team, it was the second time in Caballero’s career he’s homered in back-to-back games.
On the mound, Gerrit Cole delivered six innings of two-run ball, striking out six. The ace has now made five starts since returning from injury, and his command improved as the game went on.
“I thought the command got a little bit better as the game went on,” Cole said. “I thought we kept them off-balance and stayed in the strike zone well after getting a lead.”
The win improved the Yankees to 44-27, keeping them atop the AL East standings. Questions remain about how the roster will hold up while Judge, Stanton, and starter Max Fried work their way back from various ailments. But if Tuesday night was any indication, this team may have the depth to keep the train moving — and the ailing stars might return to a club that’s still ahead in the race.
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