NEW YORK (AP) — Jameson Taillon made a triumphant return to Yankee Stadium, allowing one hit in eight innings to outpitch Carlos Rodón in the All-Star’s injury-delayed Yankees debut and lift the Chicago Cubs over New York 3-0 on Friday night for their first-ever victory in the Bronx.
Taillon (3-6) limited the Yankees to just Gleyber Torres’ single to center in the first and a pair of walks. He struck out four, set his season high for innings and didn’t allow a runner past first base in his first victory since June 13.
A 31-year-old right-hander, Taillon spent two seasons with the Yankees, then agreed in December to $68 million, four-year contract with Chicago.
Cody Bellinger hit his ninth home run for the Cubs, who had been 0-12 at Yankee Stadium old and new. Chicago had lost eight regular-season games in the Bronx plus two each as the Yankees swept the 1932 and 1938 World Series.
New York lost its third straight, dropping to 13-16 since Aaron Judge tore a ligament in his right big toe on June 3. Booed repeatedly by angry fans, The Yankees have scored two runs or fewer in 12 of those games.
Adbert Alzolay gave up a ninth-inning single to Franchy Cordero and finished a two-hitter for his sixth save in seven chances. Chicago, which had dropped eight of its previous 11, tied Toronto for the big league lead with 10 shutouts. The Yankees were blanked for the just the fourth time.
Rodón (0-1), a 30-year-old lefty coming off consecutive All-Star seasons, started his career with the White Sox, spent 2022 with San Francisco and signed a $162 million, six-year contract with the Yankees last winter. He strained his left forearm during spring training and was slowed by a bad back during rehab, causing him to miss the first half of the season.
Wearing high socks, Rodón threw predominantly fastballs (53) and sliders (12), mixing in two curveballs and a pair of changeups. He averaged 95.5 mph with his fastball but got just five misses among 30 swings. He allowed two runs and four hits in 5 1/3 innings with two walks and two strikeouts.
Bellinger drove a fastball high over the right-field wall in the third for Chicago’s first hit. He took a half-dozen small steps as he watched the ball land in the second deck, giving him 20 hits in his last 40 at-bats.
Chicago got its second run in the fifth, when Rodón walked Trey Mancini and Miguel Amaya, and Nico Hoerner grounded a two-out RBI single through the right side. Patrick Wisdom added an RBI double in the seventh against Ron Marinaccio.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cubs: SS Dansby Swanson missed his second straight game because of a bruised left foot and will skip the All-Star Game.
Yankees: LHP Nestor Cortes (rotator cuff inflammation) was transferred to the 60-day IL and cannot be activated until Aug. 4. … INF/OF Jake Bauers (bruised left rotator cuff) was put on the 10-day IL and Cordero was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
UP NEXT
All-Star RHP Gerrit Cole (8-2 2.79) is 10-3 with a 2.53 ERA in 15 starts against the Chicago Cubs, who start Drew Smyly (7-5, 4.10) on Saturday.
