Luis Gil pitched six sparkling innings in his return from a back injury, and the New York Yankees beat the Chicago Cubs 3-0 on Friday at Wrigley Field.
Aaron Judge hit an RBI double and scored on Austin Wells’ two-run single as the Yankees scored three times in the third inning in their first game at Wrigley Field since 2017. Judge went 1-for-3 with a walk in his 10th straight game without a home run — his longest streak of the season.
The Yankees (81-60) improved to 2-2 on a six-game trip that began with a difficult series at Texas. They trailed AL East-leading Baltimore by a half-game going into Friday’s action.
It was the Yankees’ first shutout since Aug. 23 against the Colorado Rockies and No. 12 on the season.
“It was a good day,” manager Aaron Boone said.
The Cubs (72-69) lost for the third time in four games since a successful trip put them back in the conversation for the third NL wild-card spot.
“I thought Gil threw the ball well, but we got to do a better job,” manager Craig Counsell said. “No leadoff hitters on. No multiple men on base in an inning. That’s a tough formula just to score obviously.”
Cubs left-hander Jordan Wicks (2-3) allowed five hits and walked four in five innings in his second start since returning from a right oblique strain. The Cubs were shut down by Gil (13-6) and three relievers on a breezy afternoon.
Gil allowed the Cubs’ only hit — Cody Bellinger’s fourth-inning double — in his first start since Aug. 20. The right-hander struck out seven and walked two.
“The more innings that I pitched, felt better,” Gil said through an interpreter. “I was feeling more comfortable, more loose on the mound. The arm was feeling good and in a good rhythm.”
Gil was placed on the 15-day injured list last month with a strained lower back. He is up to a career-high 130 2/3 innings after missing most of the last two seasons following Tommy John surgery.
“It took him a little bit to get the heater going, but I thought it improved the entire game,” Boone said.
Jake Cousins and Tommy Kahnle each pitched an inning for New York before Luke Weaver handled the ninth for his first career save in 199 major-league appearances. The Yankees are going with a closer-by-committee approach after Clay Holmes surrendered a game-ending grand slam in a 7-4 loss to the Rangers on Tuesday night.
Anthony Rizzo went 1-for 3 with a walk in his first game at Wrigley since the Cubs traded him to the Yankees in July 2021. The first baseman, who helped the Cubs win the 2016 World Series, got a warm reception that featured multiple standing ovations from the crowd.
“It was just cool to be here. A lot of smiles,” Rizzo said. “It was great to hear the seventh-inning stretch and just see Wrigley being Wrigley.”
