Juan Soto hit two home runs, including a go-ahead shot during a four-run ninth inning that lifted the American League-leading New York Yankees to a series-sweeping 7-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday.
Soto's two-run blast off Camilo Doval with one out in the top of the ninth staked New York to a 6-5 lead. The star slugger had a solo homer in the first inning and finished 3 for 5 with three runs scored in the Yankees' fifth consecutive win, which included all three matchups of this series.
Doval was called on to protect a 5-3 lead entering the ninth and was greeted by a single from Gleyber Torres, who was erased on a fielder's choice grounder. Anthony Volpe then delivered a run-scoring triple to right in front of Soto's go-ahead drive into the right field seats.
The Yankees tacked on another run when Doval walked Aaron Judge, who stole second and scored on Giancarlo Stanton's ground-rule double. Clay Holmes then set the Giants down in order in the bottom of the ninth to earn his 17th save.
San Francisco had taken a 5-3 advantage in the sixth inning on Heliot Ramos' bases-loaded single that plated Jorge Soler and Luis Matos, both of whom had reached on singles.
Ramos homered earlier in the game, a solo shot off New York starter Nestor Cortes that snapped a 1-1 tie in the third inning. Cortes also served up a solo homer to Casey Schmitt in the fourth that extended the Giants' lead to 3-1.
The Yankees countered with two runs charged to San Francisco starter Blake Snell in the fifth. Volpe and Soto reached via singles and Stanton drew a walk to load the bases for Alex Verdugo, who knocked in two runners with a double off reliever Erik Miller.
Snell was removed with a groin strain after walking Stanton with two out in the fifth. The 2023 National League Cy Young winner was charged with three runs and registered seven strikeouts.
After Soto's first homer of the game gave the Yankees an early edge, the Giants answered in the second when Soler doubled and scored on Schmitt's single.
White Sox's skid hits 11 games as Brewers finish sweep
Jackson Chourio's three-run homer in the second inning helped send the hapless Chicago White Sox to an 11th straight loss, a 6-3 defeat to Milwaukee that completed a three-game sweep by the Brewers.
Gary Sanchez added a two-run single and Freddy Peralta struck out seven over five innings as the NL Central-leading Brewers extended their winning streak to five games.
Paul DeJong had a homer and drove in two runs for the downtrodden White Sox, who have now dropped 15 of 16 and own the majors' worst record at 15-45.
Chicago did start out strong, as Nicky Lopez and Corey Julks recorded one-out singles off Peralta in the first inning. Lopez was brought home by Gavin Sheets' single and DeJong plated Julks with a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead.
Milwaukee answered with four two-out runs off Nick Nastrini in the second, however. Joey Ortiz singled and Jake Bauers drove him in with a double to get the Brewers on the board. After Sanchez drew a walk to put two on, Chourio drove the first pitch he saw into the seats in left for a 4-2 lead.
DeJong's homer in the fourth brought Chicago within 4-3, and the White Sox threatened in the eighth when Lopez's ground-rule double off Enoli Paredes put runners at second and third with one out.
Julks then lifted a fly ball to left field that was caught by Milwaukee's Christian Yelich, who threw out Tommy Pham at the plate to keep it a one-run game.
Sanchez extended the lead to 6-3 with a bases-loaded, two-out single in the bottom of the eighth that brought in two runs.
Peralta (4-3) allowed three runs and four hits over five innings, while Paredes threw two scoreless innings to earn his first career save.
Nastrini (0-5) lasted just four innings and surrendered four runs while walking three.
Irvin, Nationals halt Guardians' nine-game home winning streak
Jake Irvin tossed six solid innings and Lane Thomas and Joey Meneses each knocked in a pair of runs for the Washington Nationals, who ended the Cleveland Guardians' nine-game home winning streak with a 5-2 victory.
Meneses' two-run double off Carlos Carrasco highlighted a four-run fourth inning that helped the Nationals avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of the AL Central leaders, who were dealt their first home defeat since May 7.
Carrasco (2-5), activated from the injured list prior to the game, ran into early trouble when Keibert Ruiz led off the second inning with a single and Eddie Rosario doubled two batters later to put two runners aboard. Meneses then drove home both with a deep drive to center that rolled to the wall for a double.
Meneses would score on Ildemaro Vargas' single for a 3-0 lead before Thomas capped the big inning with a run-scoring single.
Cleveland did answer in its half of the second on Daniel Schneemann's first major league hit, a double that plated both Will Brennan and Gabriel Arias. Brennan reached on a single and took third on Arias' double.
Irvin (3-5) kept the Guardians off the board for the remainder of his outing as he allowed just five total hits and struck out six. Robert Garcia and Hunter Harvey followed with a scoreless inning each before Kyle Finnegan worked the ninth for his 16th save.
The Nationals tacked on another run in the fourth when Joey Gallo drew a walk, advanced to third on Vargas' single and scored on Thomas' sacrifice fly.
Carrasco was tagged for five runs and seven hits while fanning five over four innings.