Ben Rice's spotlight-stealing swing seals massive Yankees win over Orioles

The New York Yankees are officially done with Rob Manfred Rule-style road extra innings games in 2025; they play their final six games of the regular season in the Bronx, and if they're lucky enough to punch their postseason ticket, the rule will be abandoned. You know. Because those games in October are the ones that really count. Thanks, Commish.

With a league-worst record in similar road contests since the rule was put in place, it was either extremely out of character or extremely fitting for the Yankees to finish this one with a bang.

Longtime Yankees enemy Keegan Akin relieved Orioles rookie Kade Strowd, who walked Aaron Judge after nearly battling back from a 3-0 count. With runners on first and second and nobody out, the lefty Akin was called upon to deal with Cody Bellinger and Ben Rice, both of whom gave him something to deal with.

Bellinger lined a single on one hop to left field, and after the runner was held at third, that set up Ben Rice for a bases-loaded, two-strike opportunity. Akin, nursing a 3.40 ERA in 39 2/3 innings against the Yankees in his career (27 hits allowed), gave Rice a center-cut fastball, neutering his lefty-lefty advantage and watching the baseball sail deep into the seats beyond the right-center gap.

Ben Rice grand slam, Jazz Chisholm Jr. home runs off Yankees enemy Keegan Akin make huge splash in AL Wild Card race

Unreasonably. Seasonably. HUGE.

Would 5-1 be enough for Camilo Doval in the bottom of the 10th, with a strapped bullpen? Thankfully, the Yankees wouldn't have to find out; Jazz Chisholm Jr. chased Akin with another home run, before the lineup rallied again against his replacement and Anthony Volpe drove in Jose Caballero (wearing Rays-accented gear?) for a remarkable seventh run.

Technically, Doval didn't allow a single run in the bottom of the frame, but he also completely lost the strike zone with two outs, walking back-to-back batters and falling behind Ryan Mountcastle 3-1 before blowing him away. Needless to say, the sixth and seventh runs helped silence any echoes of last summer's "Clutch Ben Rice Homer" turned "Clay Holmes/Anthony Volpe/Alex Verdugo Defensive Meltdown" Game.

This time around, the Yankees exerted their force in the 10th frame, their No. 1 asset heading towards October. After Minnesota finally snapped Cleveland's 10-game winning streak, the Yankees' magic number to clinch a berth is now three, with three home games coming up against Chicago. The Yankees also lead the Red Sox by two games, pending tonight's action, and either the Sox or Blue Jays are guaranteed to lose Tuesday through Thursday, as they face off.

Very interesting, and it was all courtesy of Cam Schlittler, Luke Weaver, Devin Williams, David Bednar, and a commitment to offensive excellence in the inning that mattered most. Bellinger and Rice are swiftly becoming the two men you'd like to see most in situations like these, just in time for October.