White Sox star Andrew Benintendi’s clutch grand slam joins rare Yankee Stadium visitor company

Chicago White Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi, who played for the New York Yankees during the second half of the 2022 season, returned to Yankee Stadium on Thursday night and helped his side take down his former team 5-1.

Benintendi entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning with the score tied 1-1 and the bases loaded with one out. Chicago had already used multiple pinch hitters in the inning, beginning with Sam Antonacci, who doubled off New York’s reliever Fernando Cruz after entering for Luisangel Acuna. Jacob Gonzalez and Tristan Peters were then both hit by pitches by Yankees left-hander Tim Hill, loading the bases.

After Hill recorded a strikeout against Chase Meidroth, New York’s manager Aaron Boone turned to Camilo Doval. White Sox manager Will Venable countered by inserting Benintendi to hit for Randal Grichuk, another former Yankee.

On Doval’s first pitch, a 100 mph sinker, Benintendi drove the ball into the right-center seats for a grand slam. The hit gave Chicago a 5-1 lead and was Benintendi’s fourth career grand slam, as well as his second pinch-hit home run. It also was the first pinch-hit grand slam by a White Sox player since Orlando Hudson accomplished the feat on September 29, 2012.

Not only that, Benintendi became only the second opposing player in Yankee Stadium history to launch a pinch-hit, go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning or later, joining pitcher Tommy Byrne, who did so for Chicago on May 16, 1953.

The White Sox’s offense was supported earlier by Colson Montgomery, who hit his 20th home run of the season in the second inning and also contributed a crucial defensive play, tagging out Anthony Volpe after a throwing play from Junior Perez.

On the mound, Sean Burke was effective in bulk relief for Chicago after opener Bryan Hudson. Burke pitched 7 1/3 innings, allowing 1 run on 5 hits with 8 strikeouts, matching his career high for innings pitched. Ryan McMahon accounted for the Yankees’ only run with a solo home run in the third inning.

The White Sox win also ended a difficult stretch in the Bronx, where they had been outscored heavily in previous meetings, and was their first win at Yankee Stadium since June 8, 2023.

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