The New York Yankees closed their regular season on a high note Sunday, defeating the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 at Yankee Stadium behind two home runs from sophomore first baseman Ben Rice. The victory capped an eight-game winning streak and brought the Yankees’ final record to 94-68. However, the streak wasn’t enough to secure the AL East crown, as the Toronto Blue Jays clinched the division via tiebreaker after beating Tampa Bay 13-4.
Both the Yankees and Blue Jays finished with identical records, but Toronto’s 8-5 edge in the season series granted them the division title. As a result, New York will host the Boston Red Sox in a best-of-three Wild Card Series beginning Tuesday. The winner will advance to face Toronto in the Division Series next weekend.
Ben Rice delivered the biggest swings of the game, hitting a solo home run in the first inning against Baltimore starter Kyle Bradish and then adding a go-ahead opposite-field shot in the eighth off Rico Garcia. It was Rice’s third career multi-homer game and pushed his season total to 26. His first-inning blast also marked the Yankees’ 50th home run in the opening inning this season, setting a new major league record.
Giancarlo Stanton contributed an RBI single in the fourth inning to tie the score after the Orioles had briefly taken a 2-1 lead on back-to-back home runs from Jordan Westburg and Gunnar Henderson off Luis Gil. Aaron Judge went 1-for-4 on the day, securing the first batting title of his career with a .331 average to go along with 53 home runs and 114 RBIs.
Starter Luis Gil, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, allowed two runs across five innings while striking out two. He concluded his injury-shortened season with a 4-1 record and a 3.32 ERA in 11 starts. The bullpen held firm from there, with Devin Williams earning the win after a scoreless eighth inning and David Bednar closing it out in the ninth for his 27th save in 30 chances.
Manager Aaron Boone praised his team’s resilience after the game, noting how the Yankees overcame a midseason slump that saw them go 25-34 before finishing with a strong 34-14 stretch run. “I think we just started to come together and realize our potential as a group,” Boone said. “Our bullpen settled in, the offense clicked, and we found ways to win different types of games.”
Looking Ahead: Wild Card Showdown with Boston
With the regular season complete, all focus now shifts to the postseason. The Yankees will host the rival Red Sox at Yankee Stadium in the Wild Card Series, with Game 1 set for Tuesday. Left-hander Max Fried (19-5, 2.86 ERA) will start for New York against Boston’s Garrett Crochet (18-4, 2.59 ERA) in a marquee pitching matchup.
Boone acknowledged the challenge ahead. “They’ve had a great season and Crochet is one of the game’s best,” he said. “We’ve seen him a few times this year and hopefully that familiarity serves us well.”
Season in Review
The Yankees drew 3,392,659 fans over 80 home dates and matched last year’s 94-win total, though under much different circumstances. Their season included a hot 35-20 start, a midseason swoon, and a late surge that nearly propelled them to another division crown. Judge’s batting title, Rice’s emergence, and steady pitching performances from Fried and Gil highlighted a campaign full of ups and downs.
For the Orioles, a disappointing 75-87 finish marked a 16-game decline from 2024. Baltimore fired manager Brandon Hyde in May, but the young roster struggled to find consistency.
As October begins, the Yankees are set for a familiar stage—postseason baseball in the Bronx—with the chance to extend their late-season momentum into a deep playoff run.
Felix Pantaleon is The Founder of NYYNEWS.com The First & Oldest Independent New York Yankees Content Creator Platform, Since 2005.
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