Will Warren rebounds as homers carry Yankees' offense in 2-0 win vs. Cubs

Gary Phillips, New York Daily News on Jul 31, 2026

Published in Baseball

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CHICAGO — Will Warren spun his best start in some time on Friday, holding the Cubs scoreless over 6 2/3 innings in the Yankees’ rainy, 2-0 win at Wrigley Field.

Sharp outings have been hard to come by for the right-hander lately, as Warren, who surrendered six earned runs to the Phillies his last time out, entered the series-opener with a 6.57 ERA and four losses over his previous eight starts. But with Warren mixing his five-pitch arsenal with efficiency against Chicago, he looked a lot more like the pitcher who went 7-1 with a 3.22 ERA over his first 12 starts of the season.

The Cubs only mustered four hits off of Warren, whose name has been mentioned in trade rumors for the last few weeks. The 27-year-old also refused to issue a free pass while striking out seven over 88 pitches.

Warren, offering coverage for a gassed bullpen, did allow nine hard-hit balls, but he was able to avoid damage.

Cubs starter Shota Imanaga did not. While the left-hander only gave up two runs over 6 2/3 innings, both of those came on homers.

Amed Rosario launched the first one, crushing a 450-foot blast in the fourth inning. It was a welcomed result for the right-handed hitter, as Rosario, known as a lefty killer, began the day with a measly .636 OPS against southpaws this season.

The Yankees’ second dinger came courtesy of Spencer Jones’ left-handed swing. His fifth-inning solo shot off Imanaga was the first of his young career against a lefty.

Imanaga has fairly neutral splits this season, but the long ball was still an encouraging sign for Jones, whose opportunities against southpaws have been limited over the course of three big league call-ups.

While those homers were enough for a victory on Friday, it was yet another quiet day for the Bombers’ lineup. The Yankees scored just once in Thursday’s 11-inning loss to the White Sox — their second extra-inning loss in as many days — and have owned one of baseball’s worst offenses since losing Aaron Judge to a fractured rib.

With Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger also out, their catchers not producing much, and the lineup in a rut, the Yankees are looking for a right-handed hitting backstop and an outfield bat before Monday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline. However, it’s unclear just how many teams are selling or how many quality players will be moved in the coming days with a good chunk of the league still in the playoff hunt.