Cubs beat AL East-leading Yankees 2-1 to avoid a series sweep

CHICAGO (AP) — Jameson Taillon allowed only one run in six innings and the Chicago Cubs beat the New York Yankees 2-1 on Sunday to avoid a series sweep.

Taillon (10-8) struck out six against his former team. He gave up Anthony Volpe's second-inning, RBI sacrifice fly and allowed six hits.

“I've been dealing with a little bit of this and that lately, and that just means when you're out there, you've just got to execute,” Taillon said. “Maybe you don't have the same stuff you would if you were feeling 110% in April. Here we are in September, deeper in the year. That's when the prep work and scouting and knowing their tendencies (pay off), and then it's just going out there and executing a game.”

New York remained a half-game ahead of second-place Baltimore in the AL East.

Chicago won 10 of 13 games in late August, but had dropped four of five to the Pirates and Yankees during its homestand entering Sunday.

Isaac Paredes singled with the bases loaded in the first against Gerrit Cole (6-4) to drive in both runs. The runs were unearned because of an error by Gleyber Torres, who leads big league second basemen with 17 errors this season.

Cole struck out seven in six innings on his 34th birthday.

The Cubs had just three hits, all off Cole — one apiece from Ian Happ, Dansby Swanson and Paredes. Happ also had two spectacular catches in left field to keep New York from getting extra-base hits.

“He made a big impact on the game today for sure,” manager Craig Counsell said about Happ. “Those were two big plays, two really good defensive plays that can change the game. In a game where both sides were pitching really well, you have to make plays, and we made some big plays.”

Nate Pearson struck out two and Porter Hodge finished off the ninth by striking out Volpe for his fourth save.

It was the first series of at least two games in which the Yankees didn’t hit or allow a home run since Sept. 5-7, 2014, against Kansas City.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs RHP Julian Merryweather, out since Aug. 26 with right knee tendinitis, pitched a bullpen session Saturday and will go to Triple-A Iowa to throw another bullpen session on Tuesday. … Chicago LHP Justin Steele threw a bullpen session on Saturday and will travel with the team to Los Angeles on Monday. Craig Counsell said Steele is “trending to be back next week.”

BACK TO TRIPLE-A

The Yankees optioned OF Duke Ellis to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after the game.

UP NEXT

LHP Carlos Rodón (14-9, 4.19 ERA) is scheduled to open at home Monday against the Royals . The Cubs head to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers on Monday, where RHP Kyle Hendricks (3-11, 6.60) is expected to get the start.

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

Chicago Cubs closing pitcher Porter Hodge celebrates after defeating the New York Yankees 2-1 in a baseball game in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Members of the 2024 Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame class Kerry Wood, front right, and Aramis Ramirez, center, throw out ceremonial first pitches before a baseball game between the Cubs and the New York Yankees in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

New member of the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame Kerry Wood, left, gets his jacket from fellow Hall of Fame member Rick Sutcliffe, right before a baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

New member of the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame Kerry Wood, right, hugs fellow Hall of Fame member Billy Williams, left, before a baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Chicago Cubs closing pitcher Porter Hodge, right, celebrates with catcher Christian Betancourt, left, after defeating the New York Yankees 2-1 in a baseball game in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Chicago Cubs' Dansby Swanson, right, slides safely into second as New York Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres, left, commits a throwing error during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

New York Yankees' Anthony Volpe watches his RBI sacrifice fly during the second inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Chicago Cubs' Dansby Swanson celebrates with teammates in the dugout after scoring on a two-RBI single by Isaac Paredes during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Chicago Cubs' Cody Bellinger celebrates with teammates in the dugout after scoring on a two-RBI single by Isaac Paredes during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

New York Yankees starter Gerrit Cole delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Chicago Cubs starter Jameson Taillon delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees in Chicago, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Salvagers successfully towed a Greek-flagged oil tanker ablaze for weeks after attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels to a safe area without any oil spill, a European Union naval mission said Monday.

The Sounion reached waters away from Yemen as the Houthis meanwhile claimed that they shot down another American-made MQ-9 Reaper drone, with video circulating online showing what appeared to be a surface-to-air missile strike and flaming wreckage strewn across the ground.

The two events show the challenges still looming for the world as it tries to mitigate a monthslong campaign by the rebels over the Israel-Hamas war raging in the Gaza Strip. While the rebels allowed the Sounion to be moved, they continue to threaten ships moving through the Red Sea, a waterway that once saw $1 trillion in goods move through it a year.

The EU naval mission, known as Operation Aspides, issued a statement via the social platform X announcing the ship had been moved.

The Sounion “has been successfully towed to a safe area without any oil spill,” the EU mission said. “While private stakeholders complete the salvage operation, Aspides will continue to monitor the situation.”

The Houthis had no immediate comment and it wasn't clear where the vessel was, though it likely was taken north away from Yemen. Salvagers still need to offload some 1 million barrels of crude oil aboard the Sounion, which officials feared could leak into the Red Sea, killing marine life and damaging corals in the waterway.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military said it was aware of the Houthis' claimed downing of a drone over the country's southwestern Dhamar province, without elaborating.

The Houthis have exaggerated claims in the past in their ongoing campaign targeting shipping in the Red Sea over the Israel-Hamas war. However, the online video bolstered the claim, particularly after two recent claims by the Houthis included no evidence.

Other videos showed armed rebels gathered around the flaming wreckage, a propeller similar to those used by the armed drone visible in the flames. One attempted to pick up a piece of the metal before dropping it due to the heat. The Houthis later aired their own footage of the shootdown and debris.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesperson, identified the drone as an MQ-9, without elaborating on how he came to the determination. He said it was the third downed by the group in a week, though the other two claims did not include similar video or other evidence. The U.S. military similarly has not acknowledged losing any aircraft.

Saree said the Houthis used a locally produced missile. However, Iran has armed the rebels with a surface-to-air missile known as the 358 for years. Iran denies arming the rebels, though Tehran-manufactured weaponry has been found on the battlefield and in seaborne shipments heading to Yemen despite a United Nations arms embargo.

Reapers, which cost around $30 million apiece, can fly at altitudes up to 50,000 feet (15,240 meters) and have an endurance of up to 24 hours before needing to land. The aircraft have been flown by both the U.S. military and the CIA over Yemen for years.

The Houthis have targeted more than 80 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza started in October. They seized one vessel and sank two in the campaign that has also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a U.S.-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which have included Western military vessels as well.

The rebels maintain that they target ships linked to Israel, the U.S. or the U.K. to force an end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.

The Houthis also published footage Monday of what they have claimed was a hypersonic missile that they used to attack Israel on Sunday. The rebels described it as a two-stage, solid-fuel missile with a range of 2,150 kilometers (1,335 miles).

Israel's military has dismissed the claim the missile was hypersonic, a term referring to missiles that are maneuverable and also move at speeds multiple times the speed of sound when they re-enter the atmosphere from space.

Parts of the missile landed in an open area in central Israel and triggered air raid sirens at its international airport, but injured no one. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to retaliate over the attack the Houthis launched with the Palestine 2 missile.

Asked if the missile was hypersonic, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said officials “assess this to be a ballistic missile,” without elaborating.

“I think it’s fair to say that the Houthis are still continuing to see support from Iran,” Singh added. “I think it’s fair to say that Iran continues to back their groups, whether that be through financial means or in tangible capabilities. We continue to do our job in disrupting their capability ... whether it be dynamic strikes or protecting commercial shipping in the Red Sea.”

This photo released by the European Union’s Operation Aspides shows warships attached to the mission escorting salvage ships in the Red Sea on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. A new attempt has begun to try to salvage an oil tanker burning in the Red Sea after attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, a European Union naval mission said Saturday. (European Union's Operation Aspides via AP)

This photo released by the European Union’s Operation Aspides shows warships attached to the mission escorting salvage ships in the Red Sea on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. A new attempt has begun to try to salvage an oil tanker burning in the Red Sea after attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, a European Union naval mission said Saturday. (European Union's Operation Aspides via AP)

This photo released by the European Union's Operation Aspides naval force shows the oil tanker Sounion burning in the Red Sea following a series of attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels, on Saturday Sept. 14, 2024. (European Union's Operation Aspides via AP)

In this photo released of EUNAVFOR ASPIDES, the EU naval mission working in the Red Sea, on the X-platform formerly known as Twitter, on Sept. 16, 2024, the Greek-flagged oil tanker MV-Sounion, left, is towed. Salvagers successfully towed a Greek-flagged oil tanker ablaze for weeks after attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels to a safe area without any oil spill, a European Union naval mission said Monday. (EUNAFOR ASPIDES via AP)