Yanks beat White Sox for eighth in row
The way Jordan Montgomery keeps his cool on the mound, it’s hard to believe he’s a rookie.
The way the New York Yankees keep winning games lately, it’s easy to forget who they’re missing.
Montgomery took a shutout into the seventh inning for his first major league win, Matt Holliday hit a three-run homer in his return to the lineup and the Yankees romped to their eighth consecutive victory by beating the Chicago White Sox 74 on Monday night.
“We’ve just kind of found a nice rhythm and a nice recipe,” Holliday said.
The veteran slugger triggered a five-run third with a titanic shot into the raised bleachers beyond the left-centre bullpen, his first home run at Yankee Stadium. Aaron Judge added a two-run drive to chase Derek Holland (1-2) with the score 7-0 in the fifth.
Despite playing without injured catcher Gary Sanchez and shortstop Didi Gregorius, the Baby Bombers have rebounded from a 1-4 start with the club’s longest winning streak since a 10-game run in June 2012.
“We’ve got guys in this room that can handle their business and are showing it,” backup catcher Austin Romine said. “They want that opportunity.”
Making his second career start, Montgomery (1-0) immediately found himself in a first-inning jam. But the 24-year-old lefty calmly pitched out of it by setting down slumping cleanup hitter Jose Abreu and streaking Avisail Garcia with runners at second and third.
“Just went out there and kind of stayed within myself,” said Montgomery, who pitched in the College World Series as a South Carolina freshman. “Hopefully the first of many, so I’m not trying to make too big a deal of it.”
Garcia began the night leading the majors with a .465 batting average, yet Montgomery never flinched.
“He’s got poise beyond his years,” Holliday said. “He’s got a very veteran demeanour to him.”
After scattering four hits over the first six innings, Montgomery gave up consecutive singles to start the seventh and then a three-run homer to Yolmer Sanchez, who finished with three hits.
That was it for the 6-foot-6 Montgomery, who jogged off the field to cheers.
“He showed that he is a very good pitcher and that he has the talent to pitch in the big leagues,” Abreu said through a translator.
Adam Warren replaced Montgomery and worked into the ninth. Warren gave up an RBI double to Kevan Smith before Aroldis Chapman earned his fourth save when Tyler Saladino grounded into a game-ending double play — the fourth turned by the Yankees.
Warren retired 22 straight batters to begin the season before issuing a two-out walk in the seventh.
Starlin Castro had three hits for New York, and Judge drove in three runs. Castro and Chase Headley hit successive doubles after Holliday’s homer, estimated at 459 feet.
Holliday missed the previous two games with lower back stiffness.