Ben Rice hit a go-ahead grand slam in the 10th inning Sunday, leading the New York Yankees to a 7-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in their final road game of the regular season at Camden Yards.
“Hitting a go-ahead homer is always fun,” Rice said afterward, smiling as he looked back on the moment. “I was excited, and the team was excited. We’re late in the season here, and every game is so important. We’ve just got to stay on top of it, and keep our foot on the gas.”
The slam, Rice’s second career grand slam, came against left-hander Keegan Akin. He turned on a 95.2 mph fastball and crushed it into the right-center-field seats at 110.3 mph off the bat. It was the Yankees’ first extra-inning grand slam since Josh Donaldson’s on August 17, 2022, against Tampa Bay.
- Ben Rice hit a four-hit, five-RBI game capped by a 10th-inning grand slam against Baltimore.
- Rookie pitcher Cam Schlittler struck out six, touched 100.3 mph, and strengthened his postseason rotation case.
- The Yankees improved to 88-68 after a 7-3 road trip, staying two games behind Toronto in the American League East.
A Career Day at the Plate and Extra Support
Rice’s big swing capped his career-high-tying four-hit day. He finished 4-for-5 with five RBIs, collecting nearly half of the Yankees’ 10 hits. His afternoon included an RBI single in the sixth inning that tied the game at 1-1. Since September 11, Rice has been one of the team’s hottest hitters, batting .424 (14-for-33) with seven doubles, a home run, and eight RBIs.
Manager Aaron Boone praised Rice’s development: “I think we’re seeing the emergence of a true middle-of-the-order bat with power. He’s proving himself as a really formidable hitter in this league.”
After Rice’s slam gave New York a four-run lead in the 10th, Jazz Chisholm Jr. followed with his 31st home run of the season, a solo shot. Anthony Volpe later added an RBI single, rounding out a six-run frame that put the game out of reach.
Cam Schlittler Shows Postseason Potential
While Rice led the offense, rookie right-hander Cam Schlittler continued to make his case for a spot in the Yankees’ postseason rotation. The team has not yet announced who would follow Max Fried and Carlos Rodón in October, but Schlittler is vying with Luis Gil and Will Warren for that opportunity.
On Sunday, Schlittler delivered 5 1/3 innings of sharp work, striking out six batters while allowing only three hits, one walk, and one run. The lone blemish was a solo home run by Baltimore rookie Samuel Basallo in the fifth inning. His fastball touched 100.3 mph and sat around 98, part of an 89-pitch effort.
“I liked the 100 mph; I liked [that he was] 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 performance was especially important for Schlittler after a rough September in which he gave up nine runs across 12 1/3 innings (a 6.57 ERA) – it followed from a dominant August where he posted a 1.60 ERA across six starts. On Sunday, Schlittler admitted he was encouraged: “I had a little slip-up in the fifth there with command, but overall it was definitely a lot better than last week.”
Yankees’ Momentum Builds as Playoff Race Heats Up
The Yankees closed out their final road swing of the season with a 7-3 trip, improving their record to 88-68 and moving 20 games above .500 for the first time this year. They remain two games behind the American League East-leading Toronto Blue Jays (90-66), who hold the tiebreaker.
“Every win is precious,” Boone said. “Every day, it feels like there’s so much on the line.”
Sportsbooks have adjusted their numbers accordingly. At Caesars, the Yankees opened at +900 in the World Series market. FanDuel is listing the Yankees at +800 for the World Series as of Monday, and DraftKings and BetMGM are offering similar figures in the +800 to +850 range. BetMGM also lists the Yankees near +450 to win the American League. VegasInsider’s snapshot shows multiple books aligning in the +850 range.
For the next matchup at Yankee Stadium against the Chicago White Sox, FanDuel priced New York as a strong favorite, posting the Yankees between -235 and -250 on the moneyline with the White Sox between +194 and +205. The total was set at 8.5 runs, with the over around -122. numberFire’s model, also cited by FanDuel Research, gave the Yankees a 65.7 percent chance to win.
In player props, DraftKings listed Ben Rice at +322 to hit a home run, a reflection of his rising profile after Sunday’s four-hit, five-RBI game that included his 24th homer of the season.
Baltimore starter Kyle Bradish gave the Orioles six strong innings, striking out nine and allowing just two hits, but the bullpen could not contain the Yankees in the 10th. Rookie Kade Strowd, who began the inning on the mound, took the loss, while Akin allowed the grand slam.
Basallo’s homer in the fifth provided Baltimore’s only run. The Orioles, now 73-83, threatened in the seventh with the bases loaded, but reliever Luke Weaver retired Jackson Holliday to escape. The game was marked by high strikeout totals. Through nine innings, the two clubs combined for 27 strikeouts, with the total reaching 30 by the end.
Yankees Return Home for Final Push
With a Major League-best 28-14 (.667) record since August 6, the Yankees return home to Yankee Stadium for their final six games of the regular season. They will host the Chicago White Sox and then the Orioles in what could become a clinch celebration as soon as Wednesday.
“We’ve still got a chance to take the division here,” Rice said. “We have some important games coming up.”
The Yankees and Orioles will meet again in New York from Friday through Sunday to close the regular season. With the playoff race still alive, every pitch and every at-bat will carry weight as New York pushes into October.
