Associated Press (AP) — Jazz Chisholm Jr. homered on the first pitch he saw in his 500th game and the New York Yankees beat the Athletics 3-0 on Friday night to reach the halfway point of the season.

Chisholm hit his fifth homer in 21 games since returning from an oblique injury on June 3 and gave the Yankees the lead in the second by driving a cutter from A’s starter Mitch Spence (2-3) to the second deck in right field. As he rounded third, the third baseman shrugged his shoulders and did a little shuffle before crossing the plate.

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Chisholm has 89 homers and 109 stolen bases since debuting with the Miami Marlins on September 1, 2020. The only other players with as many homers and stolen bases through 500 career games are Eric Davis (107, homers, 190 stolen bases) and former Yankee Alfonso Soriano (97 homers, 121 RBIs

Cody Bellinger and DJ LeMahieu hit RBI singles as the Yankees reached the halfway point at 47-34, putting them on a 94-win pace. The Yankees were 52-29 at the halfway point last season when they finished with 94 wins and reached the World Series for the first time since 2009.

New York rookie starter Will Warren (5-4) survived issuing three walks in the first inning and allowed two hits in five innings.

Four relievers followed Warren and Devin Williams got the last three outs for his 11th save to complete New York’s ninth shutout.

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Aaron Judge was walked intentionally for the 18th time this season in the third before Bellinger singled. LeMahieu hit an infield single in the fourth after Paul Goldschmidt reached on catcher’s interference.

Spence, a former Yankees minor leaguer, allowed three runs and three hits in five innings.

The A’s lost for the fifth time in six games and were blanked for the sixth time this season.

Key moment

Warren ended a 36-pitch first inning by getting a called third strike on former Yankee Gio Urshela. He ended his 100-pitch outing by stranding runners at first and second in the fifth.

Key stat

Warren has 39 strikeouts on called third strikes — most in the majors.

Up next

Athletics LHP JP Sears (5-7, 5.44 ERA) faces Yankees RHP Clarke Schmidt (4-3, 2.84) on Saturday.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb