The New York Yankees secured a 2-0 win against the Chicago Cubs on Friday, driven by a stellar performance from pitcher Will Warren and timely solo home runs from Amed Rosario and Spencer Jones.
Warren, who has been a subject of trade speculation as the deadline approaches, pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings, scattering four hits and issuing no walks while striking out seven. This marked his most effective start in months, providing a much-needed lift to the Yankees' offense, which had struggled in recent games. The right-hander's outing was particularly significant given his performance over the last two months, which had seen a higher ERA.
After a frustrating loss on Thursday, manager Aaron Boone emphasized the team's need to score runs. For much of Friday's game, the offense remained quiet against Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga. However, Rosario broke the scoreless tie in the fourth inning with a 450-foot home run. In the following inning, Jones extended the lead with his fourth home run of the season, a 418-foot blast to right field.
Warren, who had not pitched into the seventh inning since May 1 and had not completed six innings since May 31, effectively retired 12 consecutive batters into the seventh inning. He exited the game after allowing a bloop single and another hit, with Paul Blackburn entering from the bullpen.
Blackburn, who has been largely effective but recently blew a save, stranded two runners in the seventh inning and then struck out the side in the eighth. David Bednar closed out the game in the ninth for his 23rd save of the season, having been unavailable for the previous two games due to a heavy workload.
This victory prevented the Yankees from wasting another strong start from their pitching rotation, which has been a consistent strength. Warren's resurgence is crucial for the team, especially with Carlos Rodón still a few weeks away from returning to the lineup. Jones, recently called up after Cody Bellinger landed on the injured list, has been putting together quality at-bats since his return.