CHICAGO — Amed Rosario delivered a key offensive boost for the New York Yankees on Friday, hitting a 450-foot home run off Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga during a 2-0 victory at Wrigley Field. The blast marked the second-longest home run by a Yankee this season and provided a much-needed spark against left-handed pitching.

The Yankees have been facing a shortage of their usual power hitters against southpaws, with Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton all sidelined. Rosario, a veteran known for his work ethic and mentorship of younger players, has struggled recently against left-handed pitchers. Through May 26, he maintained a .273 batting average and .888 OPS in 50 plate appearances against lefties. However, in the subsequent 66 plate appearances, his production dropped sharply to a .161 average with a .454 OPS.

Rosario’s home run came in the fourth inning and was the Yankees’ first base runner against Imanaga, who had retired the previous 11 batters consecutively. The long ball helped break the Cubs’ early momentum following Rosario’s lengthy 11-pitch at-bat earlier in the game. Despite eventually striking out, Rosario fouled off six pitches during that first-inning plate appearance, giving him a better opportunity to gauge Imanaga’s repertoire.

“I definitely think it helped, not just me but also my teammates,” Rosario said through an interpreter. “Being able to have a good at-bat, long at-bat allowed me to see all the pitches.”

The Yankees’ offense remained minimal during their first time through the batting order against Imanaga, who was efficient in retiring hitters early. However, in their second plate appearances against the left-hander, both Rosario and Spencer Jones connected for home runs, accounting for the only two runs in the game.

Manager Aaron Boone emphasized the importance of such battles at the plate in a low-scoring contest. “We’ve had too many of those innings where a pitcher’s gone through in 10, 12 pitches, whatever it is,” Boone said. “It’s hard to score. It’s hard, on given nights, to keep putting crooked numbers up. But those are the kind of at-bats that can pay off for you as the game unfolds.”

Looking ahead, the Yankees are scheduled to face another left-handed starter on Saturday, former Mets pitcher David Peterson. This will mark the seventh lefty the Yankees have faced in a nine-game series, presenting Rosario with an opportunity to build on Friday’s performance against southpaws.