White Sox Snap Losing Streak Thanks to 2 Home Runs from Eloy Jimenez

White Sox top prospect hits his first two major league home runs of his career to help the team snap a five-game losing streak.

It finally happened. The White Sox snapped their season-long five-game losing streak with a rain-shortened 9-6 win over the New York Yankees on Friday night. What also happened was Eloy Jimenez hitting his first two career major league home runs.

After the White Sox saw a quick 1-0 lead evaporate in the first inning, they were able to mount a comeback against the Yankees after they trailed 4-1 in the third inning. The Sox would start their comeback in the fourth inning when Leury Garcia doubled to score James McCann and Adam Engel to cut the team’s deficit to 4-3.

Although the Sox would get closer in the fourth inning, Brett Gardner extended the Yankees lead to 5-3 with a solo home run off of Lucas Giolito. However, in the fifth inning, the Sox would put up four runs to go ahead 7-5. Two of the runs scored in the fifth inning by the Sox were courtesy of a two-run home run hit by Jimenez.

Jimenez entered the game with just one extra-base hit and no home runs on the season. He would hit his first career major league home run to break a 5-5 tie and put the Sox back in front. This wouldn’t be the end of Jimenez hitting home runs, however. After the Yankees threatened to retake the lead in the sixth inning, the Sox bullpen held New York to scoring just one run despite the tying run being on third base before Luke Voit lined out to Jimenez in left field.

The 22-year-old slugger would then extend the Sox lead to 8-6 with a solo home run in the seventh inning with rain pouring down at Yankee Stadium. McCann would later follow with a solo home run of his own to make it a 9-6 lead for the Sox. The game would then go into a rain delay with one out in the top of the seventh inning and was later made official and snapped the Sox five-game losing streak.

With his two home runs on the night, Jimenez became the first visiting player at Yankee Stadium to hit his first two major league career home runs in the same game since Manny Ramirez in 1993. He also became the first Sox player to hit his first two major league home runs in the same game since Jose Abreu did it in 2014.

The Sox will resume their series with the Yankees on Saturday afternoon. Ivan Nova will make the start against his former team for the Sox. The Sox will conclude their three-game series on Sunday afternoon before returning home to start a series against the Kansas City Royals on Monday night.