LeMahieu has career-high 6 RBIs, Yankees beat Phillies for three-game sweep

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — DJ LeMahieu had a career-high six RBIs with a grand slam and two-run double, Nestor Cortes got his first road win this year and the New York Yankees extended their winning streak to five with a 6-5 victory Wednesday that completed a three-game sweep of the slumping Philadelphia Phillies.

Giancarlo Stanton added a pair of hits for New York, which rebounded from a 10-23 slide with its best stretch since eight consecutive wins from May 9 to June 6. The Yankees (65-45) headed home a half-game behind AL East-leading Baltimore (65-44).

“We know we're good and when we play well, we know we can beat anyone,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

Weston Wilson homered and Nick Castellanos had three RBIs for the Phillies, who have lost four in a row and 11 of 15, cutting their NL East lead over second-place Atlanta to 6 1/2 games. Two-time NL MVP Bryce Harper went 0 for 5 with two strikeouts, hit into a game-ending double play and is in a 1-for-30 slump.

“You know he's going to come out of it at some point; he's such a great hitter,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “He's going to start hitting home runs again, and he's going to start feeling good about himself. Maybe he needs a day off to clear his head a little bit.”

The Phillies had not been swept in a three-game series at home since July 22-24, 2022.

In a season-long slump, LeMahieu entered with a .173 batting average and 13 RBIs. The two-time batting champion hit his third career slam and had hit first game with two extra-base hits since last Aug 25. He joined Joe DiMaggio at Cleveland on May 23, 1948, and Yogi Berra at the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 2, 1958, and the only Yankees player with six RBIs who drove in all of New York's runs.

“It's been a tough go,” LeMahieu said. “Today felt good.”

He hit an 83.4 mph slider off Cristopher Sánchez (7-7) in the second inning, a 400-drive upheld when a video review determined a fan did not interfere while making contact with the ball.

“I was trying to put something in the air, put something in the outfield,” LeMahieu said. “Put a good swing on it.”

After Philadelphia closed to 4-3, LeMahieu hit a two-run double off in the sixth off José Ruiz.

“Really excited for him,” Boone said. “Obviously, guys know he's grinding, know he's going through it. He was clearly the difference today.”

Cortes (5-9) had been 0-5 with a 6.18 ERA in 11 road starts while 4-4 with a 2.47 at Yankee Stadium. He allowed three runs and three hits in 5 1/3 innings with six strikeouts. Cortes had been 0-4 in six starts since beating Baltimore on June 18.

“His stuff was great,” Boone said.

After setting a Yankees record with four home runs in his first three games Jazz Chisholm Jr. went 1 for 4 with a single.

Clay Holmes worked around Kyle Schwarber's leadoff single in the ninth for his 22nd save in 30 chances, his first since July 12. Holmes wasted a ninth-inning lead Tuesday with a run-scoring wild pitch.

“You want to get back out there and help the team win,” Holmes said.

Philadelphia nearly took the lead in the seventh when Austin Hays’ drive to left off Tommy Kahnle with two on was snared against the wall near the left-field foul pole by Alex Verdugo.

After Castellanos’ RBI single in the eighth pulled the Phillies within a run, newly acquired right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. stranded the bases loaded by striking out Brandon Marsh.

Sánchez allowed six runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts.

The teams played in front of another sellout crowd, with many Yankees fans once again among the 44,543. Yankees ace Gerrit Cole turning and laughed during the game when the Phillie Phanatic autographed a ball for New York players that said “Go Phils!”

“Anytime you get a sweep and play this well and win some tough, gritty games and you're going into an off day, that feels a little better,” Boone said.

UP NEXT

Yankees: Begin a nine-game homestand with a three-game set against Toronto on Friday night. Yankees RHP Marcus Stroman (7-5, 3.64) opposes RHP Kevin Gausman (9-8, 4.44).

Phillies: RHP Tyler Phillips (3-0, 1.80) starts at Seattle on Friday in the opener of a 10-game trip. The Mariners start RHP Bryan Woo (4-1, 2.35).

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