BALTIMORE – Ben Rice received a fastball down the center. He didn’t miss it.
Rice launched a tiebreaking grand slam within the tenth inning, serving to ship the Yankees house as winners of their remaining street sport of the common season, a 7-1 victory over the Orioles on Sunday afternoon at Camden Yards.
“Hitting a go-ahead homer is at all times enjoyable,” stated Rice, flashing a broad smile. “I used to be excited and the staff was excited. We’re late within the season right here, and each sport is so necessary. We’ve simply received to remain on high of it, and maintain our foot on the fuel.”
The Yankees (88-68) wrapped a 7-3 journey that pushed them to a season-high 20 video games over .500. They continue to be two video games behind the Blue Jays (90-66) within the American League East, with Toronto holding the tiebreaker.
“Each win is treasured,” supervisor Aaron Boone stated. “Day by day, it appears like there’s a lot on the road.”
Rice carried the offense a lot of the day, gathering a career-high-tying 4 hits, together with an RBI single within the sixth. Since Sept. 11, he’s batting .424 (14-for-33) with seven doubles, a homer and eight RBIs.
“I believe we’re seeing the emergence of a real middle-of-the-order bat with energy,” Boone stated. “He’s proving himself as a extremely formidable hitter on this league.”
The tenth inning noticed the second profession grand slam for Rice, who turned on a 95.2 mph Keegan Akin fastball, rocketing off his bat at 110.3 mph into the right-center-field seats. It was the Yankees’ first extra-inning grand slam since Josh Donaldson on Aug. 17, 2022, in opposition to Tampa Bay.
“Simply making an attempt to get the man from third in,” Rice stated. “You simply attempt to get one thing elevated within the zone, and get one thing within the air.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr. tacked on his thirty first homer later within the six-run tenth. The victory was credited to David Bednar, certainly one of six Yanks relievers who tossed scoreless outings. Devin Williams celebrated his thirty first birthday by putting out the aspect within the eighth.
“Baseball is form of a momentum sport,” stated left-hander Tim Hill. “You’re simply feeding off of one another. You’re being attentive to what labored for them and what they’re making an attempt to do, and you then go on the market and plan in keeping with that. Once you’re rolling, it helps the subsequent man, for positive.”
As Rice places the ultimate touches on a powerful first full season within the Majors, rookie right-hander Cam Schlittler continues to make a case for a chance underneath the intense lights of October.
The Yankees haven’t but decided who would observe Max Fried and Carlos Rodón of their postseason rotation, however Schlittler could be vying with Luis Gil and Will Warren for a chance. His sharp 5 1/3-inning outing on Sunday helped.
“We management what we are able to management, however I’m assured on this staff,” Schlittler stated. “We’ve received an opportunity to place ourselves in a extremely great spot, whether or not that’s with a bye [past the Wild Card round] or not. The staff goes to be locked within the subsequent six video games.”
Schlittler’s fastball touched 100.3 mph and sat 98 mph as he struck out six in an 89-pitch effort. Samuel Basallo’s fifth-inning homer accounted for the one run off Schlittler, who restricted Baltimore to 3 hits and a stroll.
“I favored the 100 mph; I favored [that he was] forward within the rely quite a bit,” Boone stated. “I assumed his stuff was actually good. When he lives within the strike zone, he’s able to being actual profitable.”
The stable outing was an encouraging signal for Schlittler, who had endured a bumpy September, permitting 9 runs in 12 1/3 innings (6.57 ERA) getting into Sunday’s begin. Beforehand, he’d had a superb August, posting a 1.60 ERA throughout six begins.
“I had just a little slip-up within the fifth there with command, however total it was positively quite a bit higher than final week,” Schlittler stated.
With a Main League-best 28-14 (.667) file since Aug. 6, the Yankees return to the Bronx for his or her remaining homestand of the common season, internet hosting the White Sox and Orioles for video games that ought to characteristic a moist and wild clinch celebration – probably as quickly as Wednesday.
“We’ve nonetheless received an opportunity to take the division right here,” Rice stated. “Now we have some necessary video games arising.”
