Yankees' offense breaks through in series-clinching win
The New York Yankees secured a series victory over the Toronto Blue Jays with an 8-3 win on Sunday, snapping out of a recent offensive slump with a late-inning surge. Ben Rice delivered a bases-loaded single to highlight a three-run sixth inning, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. added a two-run homer in the seventh, as the Yankees won their sixth game in seven tries.
The win came after the Yankees were no-hit for 6 2/3 innings the previous Saturday by Dylan Cease, and entered Sunday hitting just .161 with runners in scoring position over their previous nine games. They finished with double-digit hits for the third time in five games.
Game recap: Sixth-inning rally keys the win
Toronto starter José Soriano (10-7) kept the Yankees in check early, but the Yankees opened the sixth inning with three straight singles, including a bunt by Jazz Chisholm Jr., to load the bases. After reliever Braydon Fisher got the first two outs, Trent Grisham worked a bases-loaded walk on a 3-2 slider to break a 2-2 tie. Ben Rice then lined a slider from left-hander Mason Fluharty into right field for a two-run single, extending the lead to 5-2.
Chisholm added a two-run homer in the seventh against lefty Brendon Little, putting the Yankees up 7-2. Grisham tacked on a solo homer in the eighth, capping the scoring. The Yankees' 8-3 margin marked the third time since the All-Star break they have won by at least five runs.
Spencer Jones and Austin Wells each contributed RBI doubles in the second inning, and Jones also made a diving catch in right field on Alejandro Kirk's sinking liner in the sixth.
Bellinger returns, lineup still depleted
The Yankees welcomed back Cody Bellinger, who was activated from the injured list after missing 25 games with a left hamstring strain. Bellinger went 1-for-4 and scored a run, but the lineup remained short-handed with Aaron Judge (rib fracture) and Giancarlo Stanton (calf strains) still out.
Ben Rice, who entered the day batting .121 in August, went 2-for-5. Chisholm, who was hitting .172 this month and hadn't homered since Aug. 4, also went 2-for-4 and hit his 18th home run of the season. Trent Grisham's eighth-inning homer was his 18th as well.
The Yankees' offensive output was their biggest since Aug. 12, when they scored 10 runs against Seattle.
Pitching: Rodón solid in second start back
Carlos Rodón, making his second start since coming off the injured list, threw 76 pitches over four innings, allowing two runs (one earned) and two hits with two walks. He threw 12 additional pitches after a fielding error by rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr. in the fourth inning.
Paul Blackburn (5-2) pitched two scoreless innings in relief to earn the win.
Blue Jays' perspective: Playoff push continues
For Toronto, the loss capped a 13-game stretch against the Red Sox, Yankees, and Rays in which they went 8-5. Manager John Schneider had called that stretch a "crucible," and the team now faces an even more crowded AL playoff race.
The Blue Jays went 6-for-40 (.150) with runners in scoring position in the series, and the loss snapped a seven-series winning streak. Despite the defeat, the Blue Jays have gone 16-10 over the last four weeks and remain in contention for a wild-card spot, with FanGraphs projecting them among three teams competing for the third wild card.
Toronto will host the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday, while the Yankees open a series against the Houston Astros, with Will Warren (8-6, 4.43) scheduled to start for New York.