White Sox Break Streak
Andrew Benintendi's pinch-hit grand slam powers White Sox to 5-1 win, ending 9-game skid in Bronx
Andrew Benintendi crushed a pinch-hit grand slam on the first pitch he saw in the eighth inning Thursday night, and the Chicago White Sox snapped a nine-game losing streak at Yankee Stadium with a 5–1 victory over New York, according to Associated Press. Benintendi, who played 33 games for the Yankees back in 2022, drove a 100 mph sinker from Camilo Doval into the right-center seats to break a 1–1 tie.
The win was Chicago's first in the Bronx since June 8, 2023. It also snapped the Yankees' four-game winning streak. New York has now gone 9–5 since captain Aaron Judge fractured his right rib.
Benintendi's Grand Slam Breaks the Game Open
The White Sox entered the eighth inning tied 1–1. Sam Antonacci led off with a pinch-hit double off Fernando Cruz, according to Sox Machine. Reliever Tim Hill then hit both Jacob Gonzalez and Tristan Peters with pitches, loading the bases. The Yankees turned to Doval — acquired from the Giants in July 2025 — to face Benintendi.
Doval threw one pitch. Benintendi sent it over the wall for his fourth career grand slam and his second career pinch-hit homer, per Fox Sports. The score jumped to 5–1 in an instant. "It doesn't matter what they believe," Benintendi said afterward. "We stay with us. We believe it."
Rookie Montgomery and Sean Burke Carry Chicago
The White Sox got on the board in the second inning. Rookie shortstop Colson Montgomery hit his 20th home run of the season — a solo shot off Yankees starter Ryan Weathers — to make it 1–0, according to CBS Sports. The Yankees tied it in the third when Ryan McMahon hit a solo homer off Chicago bulk reliever Sean Burke.
Burke was the story on the mound. He threw 88 pitches and logged 7 1/3 innings of relief, effectively pitching like a starter after an opener was used. He finished with the win to move to 4–4 with a 3.89 ERA, per Fox Sports. Fernando Cruz took the loss, falling to 4–2 with a 2.25 ERA.
White Sox Turnaround Makes Bronx Sweep Impossible
Chicago entered 2026 coming off back-to-back disasters. The White Sox went 41–121 in 2024 — the worst record in modern baseball history. They improved slightly to 60–102 in 2025. This season, they have shocked the league, sitting at 39–34 and competing for the AL Central lead, according to Yahoo Sports.
The win was a statement. Over the first two games of this series, the Yankees had outscored Chicago 22–7. During the full nine-game Bronx skid, New York outscored the White Sox 58–18, per Associated Press. Thursday night flipped the script entirely at an attendance of 44,809 fans.
Yankees Bullpen Faces Scrutiny as Judge Remains Out
The Yankees entered the night at 45–28 but have struggled since Aaron Judge was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right first rib on June 4, going just 9–5 without him, according to NY Post. New York is also without Max Fried (elbow) and Giancarlo Stanton, putting extra pressure on the bullpen to hold leads.
Doval has been the center of criticism. The Yankees traded four prospects for him in 2025, and he has been inconsistent since arriving in New York. After Thursday's first-pitch grand slam, NY Post noted the team could not explain the loss away easily. Yankees GM Brian Cashman is reportedly targeting Houston reliever Bryan Abreu before the July 31 trade deadline to stabilize the late innings.
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