Giancarlo Stanton powers Yankees past Cubs

Giancarlo Stanton belted a pair of homers to help the host New York Yankees rebound from two of their worst showings of the season with a 6-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday afternoon.

After following up a 14-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday by getting two singles in Friday's 3-0 loss to the Cubs, the Yankees avoided their third four-game losing streak this season thanks to Stanton.

Stanton hit a 447-foot homer off Drew Smyly (7-6) four batters into the game. He sent a 1-0 pitch off the facing off the third deck in left field for his first homer at home since April 14 - the day before he injured his hamstring.

Stanton then hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning off Michael Rucker by going the opposite way down the right-field line. The ball appeared to hit the bottom of the foul pole and bounce into the seats and Stanton stopped at third.

After a brief crew chief review, the call was changed to a homer and the Yankees seized a 6-1 lead.

It was Stanton's 36th career multi-homer performance, and the 322-foot drive gave him a multi-homer game for the first time since May 12, 2022 against the Chicago White Sox.

Josh Donaldson also homered while Harrison Bader hit a two-run double as the Yankees improved to 14-16 since losing Aaron Judge to a right toe injury June 3 in Los Angeles.

New York ace Gerrit Cole (9-2) allowed three runs on five hits in 7 1/3 innings and improved to 8-0 following a New York loss this year. He struck out five, walked one and got 11 outs via groundouts.

The Cubs lost for the ninth time in 13 games. They scored their first run off Cole on a groundout by Nico Hoerner in the third inning that the right-hander deflected his pitching hand.

Former Yankee Mike Tauchman hit a two-run homer that chased Cole before Michael King got the final five outs for his sixth save.

Smyly allowed four runs and six hits in four innings. Facing the Yankees for the first time since 2016, the left-hander did not pitch beyond the fourth for the third straight start.