Yankees 4, Cubs 2 (13): Brendan Ryan singled and scored on a wild pitch to snap a 13th-inning tie and help lift visiting New York to a split of the two-game series.
The Yankees forced extra innings with two runs in the ninth on a fielder’s choice and throwing error by Chicago second baseman Darwin Barney, and went ahead against Jose Veras (0-1) in the 13th. Yangervis Solarte walked after Ryan’s hit and both runners moved up on a bunt by Preston Claiborne before Veras threw a pitch over the head of J.R. Murphy to allow the tiebreaking run to scamper home.
Murphy followed with a blooper to right to score another run and make things easier for David Robertson, who worked around a one-out single in the bottom half for his ninth save. Each of New York’s 13 hits were singles, nine of which came after hard-luck Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija left following seven scoreless innings.
Samardzija remained without a win in 16 straight starts dating to Aug. 24 despite lowering his ERA to a major league-leading 1.46. He was in line to break the streak after leaving with a 2-0 lead, thanks to a sacrifice fly by Mike Olt in the fourth and a safety squeeze for an RBI in the seventh by Emilio Bonifacio.
Claiborne (2-0), one of seven relievers after starter Chase Whitley, tossed 1 2/3 scoreless frames to finish a dominant 8 2/3 innings by the New York bullpen. Ichiro Suzuki had two hits for the Yankees and drove in their first run in the ninth with a bases-loaded grounder before reaching when Barney’s relay on a potential double play got past first base, which allowed the tying run to come across.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Whitley let up a run on six hits in 4 1/3 innings in his second career start. … Solarte had two hits and two walks in five trips to the plate. … The Yankees stay in Chicago to take on the White Sox in the first of four on Thursday, while the Cubs travel to San Diego.
