Grisham helps the Yankees beat the White Sox 10-2 for their season-high 6th consecutive win

CHICAGO (AP) — Trent Grisham hit a grand slam, Carlos Rodón pitched six effective innings and the New York Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox 10-2 on Friday night for their season-high sixth consecutive win.

Anthony Volpe also homered and drove in three runs as New York improved its position in the bunched AL East. Austin Wells and Ben Rice each hit an RBI single, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. walked twice and scored two runs.

The Yankees (75-60) moved into second place in the division, a half-game ahead of Boston and three back of Toronto. The Red Sox lost 4-2 to Pittsburgh, and the Blue Jays lost 7-2 to Milwaukee.

Rodón (15-7) permitted one run and seven hits in his fourth consecutive win. It was the left-hander’s first start at Rate Field since he departed the White Sox in free agency after the 2021 season.

Chase Meidroth had two hits for Chicago, including an RBI single. The White Sox outhit the Yankees 12-7, but they left 11 runners on base in their fourth straight loss.

Grisham went deep for the third consecutive game when he hit a two-out drive in the fourth off Yoendrys Gómez (3-2) for his fourth career grand slam and No. 7 on the season for New York. He has seven homers in his last 10 games and a career-high 28 overall.

Volpe hit a two-run shot off Mike Vasil in the seventh for his 19th homer. He also had an RBI single in New York’s three-run sixth.

Grisham’s 387-foot drive to right-center on a 93.7 mph fastball staked the Yankees to a 5-0 lead.

Gómez issued six of Chicago’s nine walks.

Two rookie right-handers match up on Saturday night when Cam Schlittler (2-2, 2.76 ERA) starts for New York and Shane Smith (4-7, 3.87 ERA) goes for Chicago.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

TORONTO (AP) — Freddy Peralta pitched six scoreless innings for his MLB-leading 16th win, Andruw Monasterio hit a solo home run and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-2 on Friday night in the opener of a series matching the top teams in the National and American leagues.

Peralta (16-5) allowed one hit, a two-out double by Alejandro Kirk in the second inning. He struck out eight and walked one. The right-hander went 4-0 with a 0.32 ERA in five August starts.

Andrew Vaughn had three hits and drove in two runs for the Brewers, who are 20-8 in August with two games remaining this month.

Making his second start for the Blue Jays, Shane Bieber (1-1) allowed two runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked none and struck out six.

Monasterio homered off Bieber to begin the sixth, his fourth. Brice Turang singled and William Contreras flew out before Brendon Little came on to face Christian Yelich, who walked. Vaughn followed with an RBI single and Little exited after striking out Sal Frelick.

Caleb Durbin greeted Louis Varland with an RBI single and Isaac Collins capped the five-run inning with a two-RBI double.

Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho exited in the seventh after he was hit on the right pinkie by a 97-mph pitch from Aaron Ashby. Myles Straw ran for Varsho. Manager John Schneider said after the game that X-rays on Varsho’s finger did not reveal a fracture.

Davis Schneider hit a two-run single off Ashby, but Andrés Giménez followed by grounding into an inning-ending double play.

Monasterio’s leadoff blast in the sixth sparked the biggest inning of the game for the Brewers.

Milwaukee has the best road record in the majors at 39-28.

RHP Kevin Gausman (8-10, 3.87 ERA) is expected to start for the Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon against Brewers RHP Quinn Priester (11-2, 3.44).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb