BALTIMORE — The Yankees left runner after runner on base Sunday afternoon at Camden Yards, letting opportunities slip away to break a 1-1 tie through six tense innings.
Ben Rice made sure those missed chances didn’t matter.
The rookie crushed a grand slam in the 10th inning, leading New York to a dramatic 7-1 win over the Orioles and keeping alive faint hopes of an AL East crown.
Rice’s blast capped a four-hit, five-RBI performance that saved the Yankees from what could have been a crushing defeat. Between the sixth and ninth innings, they stranded seven runners, leaving their traveling supporters among the 31,974 in attendance frustrated.
“Just trying to get the guy from third in,” Rice said. “Hitting the go-ahead homer’s always fun, so I was excited and the team was excited. We’re late in the season here and every game’s so important.”
Dramatic finish caps Yankees’ critical road trip
The victory gave New York a 7-3 mark on its longest road trip of the season. More importantly, it improved the Yankees to 88-68, a season-high 20 games over .500, as they return to the Bronx for the final homestand.
The Blue Jays beat Kansas City earlier in the day, preserving their two-game lead in the division. Toronto also holds the head-to-head tiebreaker, meaning the Yankees must gain three games with only six left to steal the AL East.
“Every win’s precious,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Every day it feels like there’s so much on the line. But once it’s over with, you’ve got to move on.”
The Yankees still control their playoff fate. They lead the AL wild card race by at least two games over Boston and carry a magic number of four to clinch a postseason berth.
Rice delivers when it matters most
The 10th inning opened with Trent Grisham placed on second base under extra-inning rules. Aaron Judge worked a walk against Orioles reliever Kade Strowd. Manager Brandon Hyde then called on left-hander Keegan Akin to face Cody Bellinger.
Bellinger lined a single to left, loading the bases with no outs. That brought up Rice, batting from the left side.
Akin quickly jumped ahead 1-2, but his next pitch, a 95 mph fastball, stayed over the plate. Rice crushed it.
The ball left his bat at 110.3 mph and traveled 413 feet into the right-center stands. Rice pumped his fist as he rounded first and was mobbed by teammates at home plate before running the dugout gauntlet of high-fives.
“Benny’s going to do what he always does,” said rookie starter Cam Schlittler. “Bases loaded, good matchup there, it’s a fastball. Exactly what I expect out of him.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr. followed with his 31st home run later in the frame. Anthony Volpe added an RBI single as part of the six-run inning.
Squandered opportunities nearly prove costly
Before Rice’s slam, the Yankees wasted several chances.
In the sixth, Rice tied the game with a two-out RBI single. Moments later, Jasson Dominguez drove a ball deep to left-center that looked destined to score two. Dylan Carlson tracked it down just in front of the wall to end the inning.
The seventh offered another chance, but Grisham struck out with two men on.
The eighth inning stung the most. New York loaded the bases with one out, but Jose Caballero grounded out to end the threat.
“We were playing for a little bit more than they are right now, so that’s a great feeling to get that cushion going into the bottom of the 10th,” Schlittler said.
Schlittler strengthens postseason case
While Rice stole the spotlight, Cam Schlittler gave the Yankees what they needed in his push for a postseason rotation role.
After a rough outing in Minnesota where he walked five, the right-hander bounced back with command of his triple-digit fastball. He struck out six over 5.1 innings.
All six strikeouts came on fastballs between 98 and 100 mph. His hardest pitch hit 100.3.
“I liked 100 miles an hour. I liked ahead in the count a lot,” Boone said. “I thought his stuff was really good. When he lives in the strike zone, he’s capable of being real successful.”
The only blemish was a solo home run by Samuel Basallo leading off the fifth. Schlittler allowed just three hits and one walk across 89 pitches.
“I had a little slip-up in the fifth there with command, but overall it was definitely a lot better than last week,” Schlittler said.
Orioles starter Kyle Bradish matched him nearly pitch for pitch. Bradish gave up one run on two hits while striking out nine in six innings.
Bullpen holds the line
The Yankees’ bullpen carried the load until Rice’s big swing.
Tim Hill, Fernando Cruz, Luke Weaver, Devin Williams and David Bednar combined for 4.2 scoreless innings, allowing only one hit and three walks.
Williams, celebrating his 31st birthday, struck out the side in the eighth. Camilo Doval loaded the bases in the 10th but struck out Ryan Mountcastle to end the game.
Eyes on the prize
New York returns home Tuesday for the final six games of the regular season. They face the White Sox before closing with another set against Baltimore. Facing two last-place clubs gives them an opening to build momentum before October.
“We’ve got a chance to still take the division here and we have some important games coming up,” Rice said. “Every game’s going to be more important than the last one, so we just gotta stay on top of it and keep our foot on the gas.”
The Yankees have won 28 of their last 42 games and enter the final week playing their best baseball of the season. Whether that will be enough to chase down Toronto remains uncertain.
What is certain is Rice has cemented his spot in the middle of the lineup at the most crucial time of the season.
“I think we’re seeing the emergence of a true middle-of-the-order bat with power,” Boone said. “He’s proving himself as a really formidable hitter in this league.”
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