Cody Bellinger hit three homers for the first time in his career and drove in six runs, Carlos Rodon allowed four hits in eight outstanding innings and the host New York Yankees ran their winning streak to five games with an 11-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday night.
Acquired by the Yankees from the Cubs on Dec. 17, 2024 for pitcher Cody Poteet and cash considerations about a week after Juan Soto signed a 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets, Bellinger produced the 40th three-homer game in Yankees’ regular season history. He also became the 29th Yankee to achieve the feat.
It was the third time this season the Yankees had a three homer game, setting a team record.
Bellinger connected in the third off Chicago starter Chris Flexen (5-1), again in the fifth off reliever Caleb Thielbar before going deep in the eighth off Jordan Wicks. All came with a man aboard.
Rodon (10-6) ended a three-start winless skid after being named to the AL All-Star team in place of New York ace Max Fried. He struck out eight, walked one and threw a season-high 109 pitches in his longest outing since joining the Yankees following the 2022 season.
Rodon became the first Yankee to complete eight innings since Gerrit Cole pitched a two-hit shutout against the Minnesota Twins in April 2023.
Aaron Judge hit a sacrifice fly for New York’s first run and also made a leaping catch on Pete Crow-Armstrong in front of the right field fence in the fourth. He also made a diving catch on Kyle Tucker’s sinking liner near the right field line for the final out of the eighth.
Anthony Volpe contributed an RBI double in the sixth after scoring the winning run on Judge’s sacrifice fly in the 10th inning to beat the Seattle Mariners. Paul Goldschmidt collected three hits, including an RBI single in the seventh and a run-scoring double in the eighth, while J.C. Escarra contributed an RBI single as the Yankees finished with 15 hits.
Flexen allowed three runs on three hits in four innings after making 17 relief appearances this season. The right-hander struck out two and walked three in a 68-pitch outing.
