Watch: Juan Soto leads Yankees over White Sox with first three-homer game

Aug. 14 (UPI) -- Juan Soto hit nearly 1,200 feet in home runs as part of his first three-homer performance to spark a 4-1 win over the Chicago White Sox and put his New York Yankees back in first place in the American League East.

Soto raked the long balls in the third, fifth and seventh innings of the triumph Tuesday at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago. He went 3 for 4 with four RBIs, three runs scored and a walk.

"It means a lot," Soto told reporters. "It's really fun, definitely. It's really cool to see it, and even better to get the win."

Soto, an American League MVP candidate, is hitting .306 with 33 home runs and 86 RBIs this season. He has five home runs over his last three games.

"We just come in here and try to do our jobs," Soto said. "It's really impressive what we've been doing. But at the end of the day, we forget about what we've done in the past.

"We try to come every day and try to focus on that day and win games. ... We come here every day hungry for more."

Soto grounded out in his first at-bat. He then settled back in as the third Yankees batter of the third inning. Soto took a called strike and watched a changeup miss the strike zone for a ball. He then smashed a 93.7-mph slider from White Sox starter Jonathan Cannon to left field for a 360-foot, two-run homer.

Soto proceeded to lead off the fifth with a 416-foot solo shot to left field off another Cannon offering. He returned in the seventh for a 406-foot solo homer to right field off White Sox reliever Fraser Ellard.

Center fielder Luis Robert Jr. plated the White Sox's lone run with an RBI single in the eighth. Soto returned for his final at-bat in the ninth. He took a five-pitch walk from White Sox relief pitcher Jared Shuster.

Yankees reliever Jake Cousins logged two strikeouts and didn't allow a hit in the ninth to earn his first save of the season.

Slugger Aaron Judge went 2 for 3 with two walks and a strikeout in the victory. Yankees starter Nestor Cortes allowed just three hits over seven shutout innings to earn his sixth win of the season.

The Yankees (71-50) will host the White Sox (29-92) in the series final at 8:10 p.m. EDT Wednesday in Chicago.