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Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Yankees outlast the Blue Jays, finally at Rogers Centre
TORONTO – Finding a narrow path to victory, the Yankees could at last rejoice at Rogers Centre – a nightmarish place for Aaron Boone's crew. 'Big swing, and we finally get one up here north of the border this year,'' Boone said after Tuesday night's 5-4 win against the AL East-leading Blue Jays, who had taken the previous five meetings here. The big swing was Ben Rice's go-ahead, ninth inning solo homer off Toronto closer Jeff Hoffman, leading to a Devin Williams' save – with another big assist by left fielder Cody Bellinger. That all served to lower the flame under the Yankees here, allowing the music to blare in the Rogers Centre visiting clubhouse for the first time all year. In Wednesday night's series finale, the Yankees will be sending lefty ace Max Fried (coming off a blister in his last start) to the Rogers Centre mound, knowing they avoided another worst-case-scenario sweep. But it doesn't change the enigmatic Jonathan Loaisiga's untrustworthy bullpen status. It doesn't fix Anthony Volpe's throwing woes, and his 13th error of the year – on a ball Rice, a part-time first baseman, failed to pick on a bounce – led to Toronto's tying, unearned runs. Overnight, the Yankees (56-45) can't fix their 11-17 record in the AL East, where they sit three games behind the first place Blue Jays (59-42). George Springer (2-for-2, RBI, two walks, lineout) keeps enjoying comfortable at-bats against the Yanks, while Addison Barger (two RBI singles) and Davis Schneider (RBI double) are burgeoning Yankee killers. Toronto's John Schneider retained his Manager of the Year Against the Yankees for neutralizing Aaron Judge, intentionally walking him for the seventh time in six games here – this time with none on and two out in the eighth. But as Williams put it, 'we got the monkey off our back a little bit there,'' by outlasting a Toronto team that had won a franchise-record 11 straight home games entering Tuesday. Another sellout crowd on Loonie Hot Dog Night (they set a record for sales, with 42,326 fans here) watched the Blue Jays out-hit the Yanks 11-6, while making some screaming, line drive outs. But you had to like Cam Schlitter's second big-league start, lasting five innings and flashing his 99-mph heater with confidence – though with shaky command of his slider. 'The one thing that strikes me about Cam is his confidence,'' said Boone. 'He feels he's got stuff to handle you, and that shows. He's not afraid.'' On 12 days of rest due to the All-Star break and bout with upper arm soreness, Schlittler stranded five And you could appreciate Luke Weaver's key five outs, stranding a leadoff double in the seventh put there by Loaisiga. This time, the Yankees took an early 3-0 lead with Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s three-run homer in the first off future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer, who yielded a fifth-inning solo shot to the hot-as-July Bellinger (3-for-4, two doubles). And before the Volpe errant throw, he started a nifty double play to help bail out Schlittler in the fifth. Ranging behind the bag, Volpe fielded Bo Bichette's grounder and made an off-balance flip to Chisholm, who barehanded the ball and fired, just in time, to Rice. Credit an assist to Chisholm, for giving Rice a tip on shortening his swing before attacking Hoffman's first pitch and driving it out for the go-ahead homer. In the last of the ninth, Williams thought he'd surrendered a game-tying double to the gap when Bellinger, capping a terrific defensive night, ran down Barger's drive at the warning track. "Huge, yeah,'' said Rice of the win. "Obviously lost five in a row to these guys'' since June 30. "Coming back and getting a win here and getting us some good momentum'' going forward. This article originally appeared on Yankees outlast the Blue Jays, finally at Rogers Centre
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ben Rice's clutch ninth-inning homer lifts Yankees to 5-4 win over Blue Jays
Despite bullpen woes and a costly fielding error, a ninth-inning home run from Ben Rice helped the Yankees avoid a late collapse and outlast the Blue Jays, 5-4, on Tuesday night at Rogers Centre. Here are the takeaways... -- While it took the Yankees four innings to score against Max Scherzer in their June 30 meeting, they only needed four batters to tack on runs in Tuesday's rematch. After a leadoff single from Trent Grisham and a double from Cody Bellinger, the veteran right-hander grooved a full-count, one-out fastball to Jazz Chisholm Jr. that he clobbered into the right-center field seats for a three-run homer. It was the 18th blast of the season for Chisholm, who also happened to break the ice with a dinger off Scherzer three weeks ago. -- Cam Schlittler took the mound for his second-career start -- it was delayed a few days due to reported arm soreness -- and the Blue Jays put him to work almost immediately. While the rookie's first inning included a pair of strikeouts, he allowed a walk and two singles that brought a run home and cut the Yankees' lead to 3-1. Schlittler then escaped a bases-loaded jam in the second that pushed his pitch total to a whopping 49. -- Scherzer settled in after the first-inning homer, retiring six straight at one point and 13 of 15 with two outs in the fifth. But he just couldn't get the best of Bellinger, who crushed a solo shot to right-center to bump the Yankees' lead to 4-1. Scherzer completed the frame, finishing at a season-high 90 pitches. There was no way to predict a homer and pair of doubles from Bellinger against Scherzer -- he entered with a career .118 average across 16 at-bats. -- Schlittler regained control of his pitch count after the second inning, needing only 21 pitches to complete the third and fourth frames. But he fell into trouble in the fifth, allowing three singles that resulted in another Blue Jays run. The rally could've been far worse if not for a slick 6-4-3 double play turned by Anthony Volpe and Chisholm up the middle. It was simply a grind for Schlittler, who gave up two runs on seven hits and three walks with three punchouts (90 pitches). -- Tim Hill took over for Schlittler in the sixth, and the left-hander's rhythm was quickly disrupted by poor support behind him. A throwing error from Volpe on a routine grounder allowed leadoff man Miles Straw to reach base, and from there, a one-out RBI double from pinch-hitter Davis Schneider cut the Blue Jays' deficit back to two. The Yankees then turned to Jonathan Loáisiga to clean up the mess, but he gave up a first-pitch RBI single to George Springer that knotted the score at 4-4. Volpe now has 13 errors this season, tied for the most at any position in MLB. -- Loáisiga surprisingly came back out for the seventh, and the attempt to steal outs with him backfired. He was pulled after one pitch, which Bo Bichette ripped down the left-field line for a double. By necessity, Luke Weaver was tasked with completing the frame, and he did just that by inducing a flyout and two lineouts. One of the outs wasn't pain-free, however -- TV cameras caught Aaron Judge flexing his right hand and grimacing after catching a ball and throwing it back in. -- The ninth inning began with the game still tied at 4-4, but it only took five pitches for the Yankees to regain the lead. With one out, Ben Rice played the role of hero, smacking a first-pitch fastball from Jeff Hoffman into the right-center bullpen for a solo homer. Devin Williams handled the bottom half of the frame, and while he flirted with trouble by allowing a leadoff single and a deep flyout, he then struck out a pair to register his 15th save of the season. Game MVP: Ben Rice While it was Bellinger who had the best night at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 and boosting his season average to .285, the game wouldn't have been won without Rice's huge solo shot in the ninth. He didn't waste any time in swinging against Hoffman with a chance to do damage. Highlights What's next The Yankees (56-45) will play the rubber game of their series north of the border on Wednesday night, with first pitch scheduled for 7:07 p.m. LHP Max Fried (11-3, 2.43) is slated to take the mound, opposite RHP Chris Bassitt (10-4, 3.89 ERA).
New York Post
3 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Ben Rice's clutch homer in ninth propels Yankees to big win over Blue Jays
Access the Yankees beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees. Try it free TORONTO — Rice is nice. With the Yankees in danger of their defense costing them another game, and falling even further behind the Blue Jays in the AL East, Ben Rice saved the day with one giant swing. Advertisement The first baseman clobbered the first pitch he saw from Jeff Hoffman in the top of the ninth inning, a clutch home run that lifted the Yankees to a 5-4 win over the Blue Jays at a sold-out Rogers Centre on Tuesday night. Rice had struck out on three pitches against Hoffman to end Monday's game, but slayed the Blue Jays closer on Tuesday to claim the first Yankees win north of the border this season after starting 0-5. It also snapped the Blue Jays' 11-game home winning streak, pulling the Yankees (56-45) back within three games of them for the division lead. Advertisement Devin Williams gave up a leadoff single in the bottom of the ninth, but then retired the next three batters in order for his 15th save. The Yankees led 4-2 entering the bottom of the sixth, which began with Anthony Volpe's second throwing error in as many nights. His low throw to first base could not be scooped by Rice — turning into Volpe's 13th error of the season, tied with Willy Adames for the most by any player in the majors — allowing the speedy Myles Straw to reach base. 5 Ben Rice watches his go-ahead solo homer leave the yard during the ninth inning of the Yankees' 5-4 win over the Blue Jays on July 22, 2025. Getty Images Advertisement One out later, Straw came all the way around to score from first on Davis Schneider's double into the left field corner off lefty Tim Hill that made it 4-3. With two outs, Boone brought in Jonathan Loáisiga, whose first pitch was slashed the other way by George Springer. The Blue Jays (59-42) tested Aaron Judge's arm and Schneider dove in just ahead of the tag to tie the game 4-4. 5 Jazz Chisholm Jr. drops his bat after blasting a three-run homer in the first inning of the Yankees' win over the Blue Jays. Getty Images Advertisement Loáisiga, who has not been as sharp as the Yankees need him to be since returning from elbow surgery in May, then gave up a leadoff double in the seventh inning. CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS But Luke Weaver promptly entered from the bullpen to retire the next three hitters in order to keep the game tied. Cam Schlittler, who was pushed back from starting on Friday after experiencing biceps soreness during the All-Star break, was solid in his second big league start. 5 Cody Bellinger hits a solo homer in the fifth inning of the Yankees' win over the Blue Jays. Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images It was not easy, but he held the Blue Jays to two runs across five innings while allowing 10 base runners (seven hits, three walks) and striking out three. The 24-year-old right-hander remains an intriguing arm, one that could get a chance to continue helping the Yankees or that could be on the move by the July 31 trade deadline with the Yankees needing to address multiple holes. Cody Bellinger turned in a strong night, going 3-for-4 with a home run and a pair of doubles in addition to playing strong defense in left field. Advertisement 5 Anthony Volpe makes a throwing error in the sixth inning that led to two unearned runs in the Yankees' win over the Blue Jays. Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images While Volpe's error cost the Yankees late, their defense was sharp early on. Bellinger made a terrific sliding catch on a sinking liner for the second out of the second inning, which Schlittler eventually escaped by leaving the bases loaded. In the fifth, the first two Blue Jays reached before Bo Bichette hit a ground ball up the middle. Advertisement 5 Cam Schlittler allowed two runs in five innings and received a no-decision in the Yankees' win over the Blue Jays. AP Volpe fielded it behind the bag and flipped to Jazz Chisholm Jr., who caught it bare-handed and then fired to first for the slick double play. The Blue Jays still scored a run in the frame on Addison Barger's RBI single that made it 4-2, but the twin killing made sure it was not worse. The Yankees had wasted no time in getting out to an early lead against Max Scherzer. Advertisement Go beyond the box score with the Bombers Sign up for Inside the Yankees by Greg Joyce, exclusively on Sports+. Thank you Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Check out more newsletters Trent Grisham led off the top of the first with a single, Bellinger doubled and one out later, Chisholm clobbered a three-run homer for the 3-0 lead. The Blue Jays quickly got one of those runs back in the bottom of the inning, as Schlittler's four-pitch walk to Springer came back to hurt. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. followed with a single before Barger roped a two-out single to make it 3-1. Advertisement But Bellinger extended the lead back to three runs in the top of the fifth, when he crushed his 18th home run of the year.
National Post
3 hours ago
- Sport
- National Post
Yankees snap Blue Jays home field mastery with dramatic ninth-inning win
You didn't really think the New York Yankees would roll over for a sixth consecutive loss to the Blue Jays in the past three weeks did you? Article content Sure, the Bronx Bombers have been struggling as they've essentially handed the Jays first place in the American League East, a dramatic turnabout in such a short time frame. Article content Article content Apparently there's still some pride in the Pinstripes, however as they jumped on veteran Max Scherzer and out to an early 4-1 lead before yet another exuberant sellout Rogers Centre crowd. Article content The plucky Jays fought back to tie it only to see Yankees first baseman Ben Rice clobber a solo homer in the ninth to secure a 5-4 win to squelch the bleeding from the defending division champs. It was the Bronx Bombers first victory since losing a four-gamer here earlier in the month and dropping Monday's opener of this three-game set. The loss also defused the Jays franchise record, 11-game home winning streak. Article content The winning blow came off of Jays closer Jeff Hoffman, who was making his fourth appearance in five days as manager John Schneider was clearly going for the jugular against the Yankees, who moved back to within three games of Toronto's lead in the AL East. Article content The Jays prospects seemed dire in the early going, but then the familiar chorus of this resilient team kicked in yet again. Article content After falling into that 4-1 hole, the Jays resolutely chipped away at the Yankees lead. Addison Barger got it started with his second RBI single of the night in the fifth to cut the deficit to two and then it was pinch-hitting Davis Schneider's turn to deliver a clutch hit, an RBI double in the sixth to score another pinch hitter, Myles Straw. Article content Two batters later, George Springer ripped a single towards Aaron Judge in right field and just like that it was a 4-4 ball game. Article content Article content The Jays had opportunities to finish off the comeback, too. George Springer was left on second base to end the sixth when Vlad Guerrero Jr. struck out in one of those moments that the Jays need him to come up big in. Article content In the seventh, a hard-hit double to lead things off from Bo Bichette yielded nothing, either, setting the stage for Rice's decisive homer in the ninth. Article content Guerrero attempted to get the rally started with a leadoff single off of Yankees closer Devin Williams in the ninth but a Bichette strikeout was followed by a loud fly ball out to right field by Barger and a strikeout of catcher Alejandro Kirk. Article content The loss snapped the Jays franshise-record home winning streak at 11 games and set up a rubber match in the three-game series for Wednesday.
Al Arabiya
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Ben Rice hits tiebreaking home run in ninth inning, Yankees beat Blue Jays 5-4
Ben Rice hit a tiebreaking home run in the ninth inning, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Cody Bellinger also homered, and the New York Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 on Tuesday. Rice connected off Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman (6-3) for his 15th home run as the Yankees snapped a five-game losing streak against Toronto. Ian Hamilton (2-1) got one out for the win and Devin Williams finished for his 15th save in 16 chances. Addison Barger had two hits and George Springer reached base four times, but Toronto's franchise-record home winning streak ended at 11 games. New York led 4-2 before a throwing error by Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe opened the door to a game-tying rally in the sixth. The error was Volpe's 13th, tying him for most in the majors. It was his second error in two games. Pinch hitter Myles Straw reached on Volpe's error and scored when pinch hitter Davis Schneider doubled off left-hander Tim Hill. Jonathan Loáisiga came on to face George Springer, who drove in Schneider with a game-tying single. Making his second career start, Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler allowed two runs and seven hits in five innings. He walked three and struck out three. Toronto's Max Scherzer allowed four runs and five hits in five innings. New York jumped out to an early lead when Chisholm hit a three-run homer off Scherzer in the first, his 18th. Barger hit a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the first, but Bellinger's one-out blast in the fifth, his 18th, made it 4-1. Key moment: Rice hit a 389-foot homer on the first pitch he saw from Hoffman. Key stat: Schlittler's fastest pitch of the game was clocked at 99.5 mph, one of four he threw above 99 mph. Up next: Yankees LHP Max Fried (11-3, 2.43 ERA) is expected to start against Blue Jays RHP Chris Bassitt (10-4, 3.89) in Wednesday's series finale.
