That is how you slam the door and send a message in late September. The Yankees (88-68) walked into Oriole Park at Camden Yards, absorbed nine innings of tension against a starting pitcher at the top of his game, and then erupted in the 10th with a six run avalanche that flipped a 1 to 1 grinder into a 7 to 1 statement. New York leaves Baltimore with three wins in four games, a series that felt like a test of nerve and execution as much as talent. The scoreboard says 7 to 1, but the path there was far from easy. Kyle Bradish punched out nine through six and had the Yankees offense bottled up. The Orioles had a one run lead for a blink after Samuel Basallo’s solo shot in the fifth. For eight innings both teams traded zeroes and strikeouts. Then the Yankees showed why depth and patience matter in September. Ben Rice authored the swing of the series with a 10th inning three run blast to right center. Jazz Chisholm piled on with a solo rocket. Jose Caballero laced a double and Anthony Volpe tacked on an RBI single. The bullpen locked everything down. And just like that, a tightrope night turned into a comfortable finish that delivered a series win and momentum that matters.
Game Flow In Real Time
The first act belonged to the pitchers. Cam Schlittler set a tone immediately, striking out the side in the first with crisp tempo and confident pitch mix. He carved Jackson Holliday looking, got Dylan Beavers on a foul tip, and finished Gunnar Henderson with a swinging strike. His line tells the story of efficient damage control in a hitters park. Five and one third innings, one run, one earned, one homer, six strikeouts, and only one walk. Ground ball to fly ball ratio landed almost even. His 89 pitches included 56 strikes, a healthy strike percentage that kept Baltimore from ever stacking threats. The only loud mistake was Basallo’s fifth inning shot to right.On the other side, Kyle Bradish was sensational for Baltimore. He punched out nine, walked only two, and scattered two hits over six frames. He lived on the edges, elevating when he needed a chase and sinking when he needed weak contact. New York’s early at bats were thin on barrels. Austin Wells struck out on a five pitch sequence in the third. Cody Bellinger fought, fouled off pitch after pitch in the fourth, then went down swinging on pitch ten of the plate appearance. It was that kind of duel for most of the night. Bradish threw 91 pitches, 57 for strikes, and left with a 1 to 1 tie only because the Yankees found just enough of a window in the sixth.
The Yankees Breakthroughs That Set Up The 10th
The playbook that beats elite starters is discipline and the timely swing. New York got both in the sixth. Trent Grisham worked a walk and Aaron Judge absorbed a hit by pitch, a gritty plate appearance that changed the inning’s texture. After a Bellinger liner found a glove, Ben Rice strode in and shot a single to left that scored Grisham and tied the game at one. It was simple baseball at high leverage. A walk, an HBP, and a line drive with two strikes. Rice would be heard from again later with a whole lot more thunder, but that first RBI was the one that took the weight off the dugout and told the Yankees they could crack this night open if they kept punching.
In the seventh, small details mattered. Jose Caballero beat out an infield single and advanced to second when third baseman Jeremiah Jackson hurried and threw it away. The inning did not cash in then, but the pressure was real. It forced the Orioles to burn pitches and mix and match. Rico Garcia had to bail out the eighth after Dietrich Enns. New York still came up empty in that frame despite a Rice double and a Jasson Dominguez infield hit, but you could feel the defense tightening and pitchers having to work deep to every zone. Those body blows showed up later.
The Bullpen Blueprint
Once Schlittler handed the baton to Tim Hill, the Yankees relief corps executed the exact blueprint good teams need in September. Hill recorded three outs on eight pitches. Fernando Cruz faced three. Luke Weaver handled his two batters and did not allow a hit. Devin Williams brought pure power to the eighth, striking out the side with 14 pitches and 10 strikes, a tone setting inning that stabilized everything and gave the lineup permission to play for one big frame. David Bednar took the ninth, faced four hitters, and kept the game right where it needed to be. That earned him the win after the offense detonated in the 10th. Camilo Doval finished the bottom of the 10th, navigating two walks with a strikeout and a clean scoreboard. All told, six Yankee relievers covered four and two thirds without allowing a run, compiling seven strikeouts with only six walks and one hit. That is a lot of swing and miss and almost no damage.
Here is where the night flipped from grind to celebration. The inning began with the automatic runner on second. Trent Grisham carried that responsibility. Judge worked a walk to set the table. Baltimore pivoted to Keegan Akin and the Yankees pounced. Cody Bellinger lined a single to left to load the bases with nobody out. Ben Rice stepped in with the game on his barrel and delivered a no doubt, right center thunderclap. One pitch after a called strike, he turned on a fastball he could lift and drove it out for a three run homer that scored Grisham and Judge and himself. The visiting dugout erupted. That swing effectively decided the game, but the Yankees made sure there was no oxygen left for a comeback.
After the celebration settled, Austin Slater battled to two strikes before going down. Then Jazz Chisholm followed with a solo shot to right that stretched the lead to five. Jose Caballero kept the line moving with a ringing double to deep center. Paul Goldschmidt showed veteran discipline and took four straight balls for a walk. Anthony Volpe then shot a single to shallow left to plate Caballero and push the lead to 7 to 1. Grisham struck out and Judge popped out, but by then the work was done. Six runs, five hits, one walk, and a wave of confident at bats that looked like a team with the division clearly in mind.
Rice’s final line deserves its own spotlight. Four for five, five runs batted in, a double, and the decisive home run in extras. He drove in the first Yankee run of the night with a two strike single in the sixth and drove in the last four with one swing in the 10th. That is the definition of bookending a win. He did it without chasing. He did it by sticking to the whole field. He was also perfect in the field on a night he split duties, starting at first base and finishing behind the plate after late game maneuvers. In a series the Yankees needed to control, his bat and his composure made the difference in tight moments.
Jazz Chisholm’s Thunder And Table Setting Around Him
Chisholm’s night will be remembered for the solo blast in the 10th, but he also worked a walk in the eighth that helped build stress pitches for Baltimore and he battled through three strikeouts before getting the swing he wanted. That is resilience. He went one for four with two runs scored and a walk, and he collected his 31st home run of the season, an impressive number for a player who has shouldered both middle infield and lineup sparkplug duties down the stretch. Around him, Caballero quietly had a two hit night with a double in extras and a key seventh inning infield single that forced a throwing error. Anthony Volpe came off the bench to play shortstop and delivered a late RBI single. Cody Bellinger’s 10th inning single was an underappreciated hinge in the rally. The Yankees needed the entire top half of the order to apply pressure and they did, even on a night when Judge went hitless. Patience plays in October. He drew two walks and was hit by a pitch, living on base and keeping innings alive.
Schlittler’s Composure On The Road
Young starters earn trust by surviving the middle innings on the road when the crowd swells. Schlittler did exactly that. In the second, he gave up a two out double to Jackson but punched out Colton Cowser to strand it. In the fifth, he regrouped immediately after the Basallo homer. In the sixth, he yielded a single to Holliday and a fielder’s choice to Beavers, and with the heart of the order looming, he induced a fly out from Henderson and then handed it to Hill who disposed of Mountcastle on strikes. The pitch mix stayed simple and firm. Get ahead, change eye levels, finish late. The Yankees do not win this style of game without his first five innings of foundation.
Orioles Snapshot
Bradish was Baltimore’s best player on the field through six. Nine strikeouts, only two hits allowed, and a steady diet of first pitch strikes kept the Yankees reaching. The Orioles offense, though, never found rhythm. Four total hits, one walk free inning in the eighth when Devin Williams was pure fire, and a long night of strikeouts with 13 in total. Basallo’s solo homer accounted for all of their scoring. Jackson had a double. Coby Mayo singled and swiped a bag. Cowser stole two. The late innings were a reminder of how thin the margin is when you cannot string singles and walks. When the game spilled into the 10th, three relievers faced the Yankees rally and none could stem it. Kade Strowd took the loss after starting the inning, Keegan Akin yielded the big swings, and Yerry Hiraldo absorbed more contact after the avalanche had started.
Box Score Nuggets That Explain The Result
New York struck out 17 times and still scored seven runs. That is how much damage the 10th inning held. The Yankees also drew six walks, and three of them keyed scoring frames. Judge drew two of those and was hit by a pitch for a third time on base. Ben Rice finished with a double and a homer among four hits. Caballero and Volpe delivered insurance with extra base power and contact to the opposite field. On the mound, the Yankees walked six Orioles, but most came in low leverage spots without traffic, and they never allowed the chase hit behind them. Devin Williams authored the cleanest frame of the night with three strikeouts in order. Bednar got the win with a quiet ninth. Doval’s ability to strand two walks without allowing a hit sealed a team performance that was all about refusing to blink.
Why This Series Win Matters
Taking three of four on the road in September does more than pad the record. It changes pressure on everybody else. The Yankees leave Baltimore with an 88 and 68 record from the game notes, a position that still trails the Blue Jays in the American League East. There is no reason to sugarcoat it. The chase is still real. The Yankees are still behind Toronto in the division standings. That is why this series mattered. You win the ones you must, then you put your eyes on the next set of games that can swing a race.
What Comes Next And Why It Is Simple
Now it is time to watch the Jays and Red Sox beat each other up while the Yankees handle business against the White Sox. That is the formula. Toronto and Boston will take chunks out of one another. The Yankees cannot rely on help if they do not take care of their own schedule. The White Sox set is the definition of must sweep. This series in Baltimore showed that New York can grind nine innings against quality pitching and win it late because depth, patience, and power travel. Apply the same identity against a team you are supposed to beat and the division stays within reach. The math is not complicated. Sweep the White Sox. Keep pressure on Toronto. Use every off day to reset the pen and keep stars fresh. Give Ben Rice more big plate appearances because he is delivering. Keep Jazz free to attack fastballs and hunt pull side flight. Ride the power arms late.
Inning By Inning Recap For The Diehards
First Schlittler struck out the side. Bradish answered with a quick frame that included a Judge strikeout and a Bellinger liner to left. No traffic, all tempo.Second Rice singled to center, Dominguez flied out, Chisholm struck out, Caballero reached on a fielder’s choice. Jackson doubled for Baltimore with two outs, but Cowser struck out to end it.Third Wells struck out, McMahon walked, Grisham struck out, Judge lined to center. Baltimore went quietly with a pair of groundouts and a deep fly from Holliday.Fourth Bradish outlasted Bellinger in a ten pitch battle and punched out Dominguez to finish the frame. Schlittler returned fire, getting Beavers to line to right, Henderson to line to left, and Mountcastle on strikes.Fifth The Orioles struck first. Basallo lifted a solo homer to right. Schlittler steadied and got two quick outs after. The Yankees went down on a pop from Wells and two strikeouts around it.Sixth New York answered. McMahon struck out looking, Grisham walked, Judge was hit, and Rice ripped a two strike single to left to score Grisham. Dominguez sent a deep fly to left that stayed in the park. The game was even.Seventh Enns entered, Chisholm struck out after a long fight, Caballero beat out an infield single and took second on a Jackson throwing error. Goldschmidt, pinch hitting for Wells, grounded out. Stanton, hitting for McMahon, drew an intentional walk. Grisham struck out to end it. The Orioles got a walk from Jackson, a single from Mayo, and a walk from Carlson to load some nervous energy, but Holliday grounded out to first. No harm.Eighth Garcia relieved Enns. Judge flied out shallow. Bellinger struck out. Rice doubled deep to right and Dominguez beat out an infield hit. Baltimore chose to put Chisholm on intentionally. Caballero hit a fielder’s choice and the chance fizzled. In the home half, Devin Williams struck out the side. Pure power, pure control.Ninth Strowd came on and struck out Goldschmidt and Grisham with a Volpe strikeout in between. Bednar took the bottom half and retired Basallo and Westburg before walking Cowser. He finished it with a strikeout of Mayo. Tie game to extras.Tenth The explosion. Grisham started on second. Judge walked. Bellinger singled to left. Rice unloaded to right center for three. Slater struck out after a long fight. Chisholm homered to right. Hiraldo entered and Caballero doubled off the wall. Goldschmidt walked. Volpe singled to left to score Caballero. Grisham struck out and Judge popped out, but the damage was complete. Doval finished it by inducing a lineout from Carlson, a foul out from Holliday, a walk to Beavers, another walk to Henderson, and a strikeout of Mountcastle to slam it shut.
The Numbers Behind The Night
Team totals tell a simple story. Yankees 10 hits, seven runs, two homers, and six walks. Orioles four hits, one run, one homer, and six walks. New York stranded traffic early but owned leverage late. Strikeouts were heavy on both sides and still the Yankees found their damage inning. Bench moves were sharp. Wells exited for Goldschmidt in the seventh to optimize a right on left lane. Stanton drew an intentional walk to force Baltimore’s hand, then Volpe took over at short and found a late hit. Defensive execution was clean. No errors for New York. One key Orioles error extended a rally and foreshadowed the stress that exploded in extras.
Series Takeaway And The Road Ahead
Winning three of four in Baltimore is the kind of series that breathes confidence into an entire clubhouse. You beat quality pitching, your own young starter holds the line, your bullpen stacks zeros, and your role players contribute big swings alongside your rising core. That is a postseason recipe. It also comes with urgency because the division remains a chase. The Yankees are still behind the Blue Jays in the American League East and the calendar is thin. That is why the next series against the White Sox is not just another set. It is a mandate. Handle easy business. Take every inning seriously. Sweep the series. Meanwhile, let the Blue Jays and Red Sox knock each other around. That is the window. Keep stacking wins and keep the division within reach until the last weekend. Nights like this make that mission feel real.
Now we get to see Jays and Red Sox duke it out. Yanks have to handle easy business with White Sox. They got to sweep em, the division is literally in their hands.
Ben Rice Four hits including the 10th inning three run homer that detonated the game. Five RBI. A double. The go ahead and the insurance in one swing. The kind of performance that changes how pitchers approach the entire lineup tomorrow.Jazz Chisholm A solo shot to punctuate the rally and a night that showcased power and persistence. Thirty one home runs now and a presence that energizes every frame.Cameron Schlittler Composure and control in a road environment. Five and a third with six strikeouts and only one walk. He gave the bullpen a clean runway and they delivered.The Bullpen Unit Hill, Cruz, Weaver, Williams, Bednar, and Doval combined for four and two thirds scoreless with seven strikeouts. Williams’ three strikeouts in the eighth were an exclamation point. Bednar earned the win by protecting the ninth. Doval closed it with power and poise.
Final Word
September baseball is about nerve, sequencing, and timely violence with the bat. The Yankees showed all three in Baltimore. For eight innings they stayed patient and refused to chase. In the 10th they attacked and never let up. The series goes to New York three games to one. The standings still demand more. Toronto is still in front in the American League East. Now the schedule hands the Yankees an assignment they must ace. Sweep the White Sox. Let the Blue Jays and Red Sox take turns throwing jabs at each other. Keep the pressure up. Control what you can control. Nights like this one at Camden Yards prove that the division is not a dream. It is right there to be taken with focus and finish. The Yankees just showed they can deliver both.
Felix Pantaleon is The Founder of NYYNEWS.com The First & Oldest Independent New York Yankees Content Creator Platform, Since 2005.Follow on Social Media
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