You’d think not having Aaron Judge around might make it more of a fair fight for teams like the White Sox.
But the supposedly resurgent White Sox were pummeled 12-2 by the Yankees on Tuesday night in The Bronx, as the Judge-less offense still pounded them for three homers in the first four innings en route to the lopsided win.
Gerrit Cole barely broke a sweat, as he allowed just one base runner until the sixth inning.
For the Yankees, it was their seventh win in their past eight games, as they improved upon their AL-best record (44-27).
They’ve won 11 of 13 games this season against the consistently lackluster AL Central, having swept the Guardians in Cleveland just over a week ago and winning all six games against Kansas City.
A four-run third inning set the Yankees up for an easy win with Cole on the mound and a six-run fourth ended any hope of a Chicago comeback.
Cole, brilliant in his first two starts back from Tommy John surgery before struggling in his last two, pitched like an ace again Tuesday.
He allowed a two-out solo homer to ex-Yankee Andrew Benintendi in the first.
The Yankees tied it on Spencer Jones’ second homer since his arrival- and first at home.
In the third, J.C. Escarra led off with a double and moved to third on Anthony Volpe’s infield single — when the Yankees got a break, as first baseman Jacob Gonzalez didn’t cover first on a grounder to second.
Ben Rice followed with a walk — using an ABS review to overturn what had been a called third strike — to load the bases with no one out.
A two-run single by Cody Bellinger made it 3-1.
Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s one-out walk loaded them again for Jones, who drove in another run by also drawing a walk.
José Caballero hit a sacrifice fly to add to the lead, as the Yankees went up 5-1 in the 40-pitch inning.
A pair of two-run homers in the fourth — one from Rice and another by Paul Goldschmidt — ended Davis Martin’s night, but the Yankees weren’t done, as Ryan McMahon added an RBI single and a throwing error by new pitcher Chris Murphy led to another run.
Cole, meanwhile, allowed just the homer to Benintendi until Tristan Peters opened the sixth with a single that Rice couldn’t handle.
It came against Martin, who entered with the sixth-best ERA in the majors. He’d also allowed just three homers in 13 starts on the season and gave up three in just 3 ¹/₃ innings Tuesday.
Chicago entered the game in a virtual tie with Cleveland atop the AL Central after three straight 100-plus-loss seasons.
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Caballero hit the fourth homer of the night in the eighth inning, this one against infielder Luisangel Acuña.