The Yankees overcame their woeful extra-inning luck on the road with authority after two massive blasts.
Heading into extra innings on getaway day was about the worst scenario you could’ve imagined the Yankees being in today. New York, as the YES Network broadcast made sure to mention, has been the best team in baseball in extras when hosting since 2020 (when the zombie runner was introduced) and the worst team in baseball on the road in extras. Whether it’s been misplays, poor pitching, or just plain bad luck, they’ve had many a heartbreaking loss.
This time, they were the ones breaking hearts.
Ben Rice had himself a monster afternoon, going 4-for-5 with five RBI against the Orioles, and the biggest hit landed when his team needed it most in the 10th inning, coming up after an Aaron Judge walk and Cody Bellinger single loaded the bases alongside the ghost runner. Rice found a 1-2 fastball from Keegan Akin over the middle of the plate and deposited it out to right-center for a grand slam, suddenly flipping a game where the Yankees had been sleepwalking for most of the day heavily in their favor all thanks to one sweet swing.
The blast wasn’t the ending of the frame, either. Jazz Chisholm Jr. came up two batters later and hooked one out to right, landing a solo shot over the wall with plenty of time to admire it.
Chisholm’s 31st homer of the year made it 6-1 and chased Akin from the game, but the hits kept coming. José Caballero greeted Yaramil Hiraldo with a double out to right, and after a Paul Goldschmidt walk, Anthony Volpe punched a grounded single just past the third baseman to bring Caballero home and make it 7-1, Bombers.
This matinee went into extra innings in the first place thanks to some strong pitching performances from Cam Schlittler and Kyle Bradish. Schlittler was cruising for four innings, striking out the side to start the game before allowing only one hit while striking out six. In the fifth, however, he blinked and made the only mistake pitch of his outing — a first-pitch curveball that caught too much of the plate that Samuel Basallo crushed out to right field for a solo shot. Schlittler worked around a walk to close out the inning, and got Dylan Beavers to ground into a force-out before getting lifted for Tim Hill in the sixth. The rookie adds another promising start to his resume as the postseason looms, lowering his ERA to 3.27 in 66 innings.
Bradish was matching zeroes the whole way, continuing the dominant form he’s been on since returning from Tommy John surgery. Bradish tossed six innings and allowed just two hits, striking out nine batters to maintain an absurd 12.54 K/9 in five starts this year. His one flare up came in his last frame, getting burnt after walking Trent Grisham and hitting Aaron Judge with a pitch. Rice stepped up with two outs and punched a ball right in front of Dylan Carlson in left field, scoring Grisham to tie the game.
The Yankees still had a lot of mileage to get out of their bullpen before they could close out the win, but their relief corps was on point on Sunday. Hill worked a full inning flawlessly before handing the ball over to Fernando Cruz, who got one out in the seventh but put two runners on. Luke Weaver stepped in and worked around a walk of his own to strand the bases loaded situation, and then Devin Williams entered for the eighth inning.
The embattled reliever celebrated his 31st birthday in fashion, striking out the side to pass the baton to David Bednar, who worked a clean inning of his own.
Things did get hairy in the bottom of the 10th, after the Yankees earned their breakout lead. Camilo Doval entered and got the first two outs thanks to some flashy plays from Austin Slater in right and Caballero basket-catching a ball in foul territory, but then he handed out a pair of walks to load the bases and fell behind 3-1 to Ryan Mountcastle. Doval recovered though, catching a called second strike and blowing a cutter by Mountcastle to end the game and secure the win.
New York will take tomorrow off (as will all other American League teams, for that matter) before beginning the final homestand of the regular season, featuring the White Sox and these same Orioles. A postseason spot is all but secured, and thanks to the victory today, they’re still alive in the division despite Toronto’s own win. It’s a tough road to hoe, but you can at least squint and see it if the Yanks take care of business while getting some help. Chicago will be up first in the Bronx, and the first pitch between 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil and 2025 surprise All-Star Shane Smith will be thrown on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. EST.
Category: General Sports
