Yankees explode for five runs in 10th to take the series from the Angels

The Yankees took down the Angels 6-3 in extra innings to win the series and improve to a season-high 20 games above .500 at 80-60. Cam Schlittler took the mound for the Yankees and faced off against Reid Detmers. 

Paul Goldschmidt lined a leadoff single into left field on the first pitch of the ballgame. However, on the second pitch of the game, Cody Bellinger bounced into a 4-6-3 double play. Heliot Ramos then flew out to end the frame. 

Schlittler worked a 1-2-3 bottom half of the first inning thanks to a beautiful play from José Caballero. 

In the bottom of the second inning, Schlittler navigated around a leadoff single and recorded his first two strikeouts of the night to work a scoreless frame. 

Schlittler retired the Angels in order in the bottom of the third inning thanks to a Robinson Cano-esque play from Jazz Chisholm Jr. 

Goldy led off the fourth inning with a single into left field, his second hit of the night. Belli followed with a single of his own to set the Yankees up with runners on first and second with nobody out. But Ramos lined into an unlucky double play on a ball that was drilled at 112.2 mph, the hardest-hit ball that has resulted in a double play this season. Ben Rice followed with a swinging bunt single. The next batter, Amed Rosario, came through with an RBI ground-rule double to give the Yankees a 1-0 advantage. 

Schlittler worked a nice and easy 1-2-3 shutdown in the bottom of the fourth inning and punched out Mike Trout for his fourth strikeout of the night. 

There was a scary situation in the top of the sixth inning as Ben Rice drilled a baseball into the camera well and hit someone, and the game was delayed for about 10 minutes while they carted them off the field.

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, Vaughn Grissom crushed a solo shot to tie the ballgame up at 1-1. 

“I thought it was going to be a high, deep pop-up,” Schlittler said. “He got a good swing on it and made me pay for it.”

In the bottom half of the eighth, Schlittler worked a nice and easy 1-2-3 inning to keep the ballgame knotted up. 

Trent Grisham, Rice and Rosario went three up, three down in the top of the ninth inning, giving the Angels a chance to walk it off. 

The Yankees closer David Bednar got the call for the bottom of the ninth and worked a scoreless inning to send this game to extra innings. 

Final line for Schlittler: Eight innings pitched, two hits allowed, one earned run, didn't walk anybody, and struck out nine on 99 pitches. He threw his fastball 36% of the time, the sinker 25%, the cutter 23%, and the curveball 15%. Schlittler topped out at 100.1 mph, averaging 98 mph on his heater, and had 12 whiffs. 

“Just pound the zone, not really thinking about where it's going,” Schlittler said. “And I think I've struggled a little bit the last couple of starts, just trying to be too perfect and just being able to go out there and throw the ball and trust where it is going to go.”

With one out in the top of the 10th, Caballero lined a single into left field to put runners at the corners. Jazz then worked a four-pitch walk to load the bases. Luis Garcia Jr. popped out for the second out of the inning. But Austin Wells came through with a two-run single through the right side of the infield to give the Yankees a 3-1 lead. 

“I mean, just grinding, trying to get a ball and play there,” Wells said. “You know, trying to get a run in for our staff to come in and close it out there. Yeah, that's my only goal.”

Belli followed with an RBI single of his own for his third hit of the night. Then Trent Grisham picked up an RBI single; the next batter, Rice, joined in on the two-out rally with an RBI single of his own to extend the Yankees' lead to 6-1. 

Michael Fulmer took over for Bednar in the bottom of the 10th. It looked like he picked up the first out on a strikeout, but the first-base umpire, Junior Valentine, called it a check swing. Aaron Boone and Matt Blake would both get ejected for arguing the call. Fulmer allowed a two-run bomb to Moisés Ballesteros to make it 6-3, but would go on to close it out and give the Yankees the series win. 

The Yankees will have a well-deserved off day tomorrow, then head a couple of hours south to San Diego to take on the Padres. Max Fried will get the starting nod for the Yankees on Friday and face off against Walker Buehler. First pitch is slated for 9:40 p.m. ET on the YES Network. 

My thoughts on the game: Huge win tonight, as the Yankees pick up a game on the Rays and Red Sox and are now just 3.5 games back in the AL East. Another great start from Schlittler, his 19th start of the season allowing one run or fewer, which is the most in a season by a Yankee in franchise history. Bednar looked dominant in the ninth inning, recording three strikeouts. Fulmer allowed a homer, but thankfully he had five runs to work with. The offense didn't do anything for nine innings aside from Rosario's RBI double, but they showed up when it mattered most. Huge two-run single from Wells; I had very little faith in him in that situation, but I am happy to be wrong there. Belli had a three-hit game for the second straight night. I have said this a few times over the last week since he's been back, but it's so nice having Belli back. Grisham also had an RBI single; it would be nice if he could get hot again at the plate. Rice also had an RBI single in the 10th inning, as he put together a two-hit performance. It was always extremely nerve-racking watching this team in extra innings tonight, but thankfully they prevailed. On to tomorrow, as the Yankees will have a much-needed day off after playing 10 games in nine days. 

“I mean, he's been incredible for us,” Wells said of Schlittler. “I mean, being able to go out there, you know, every five, six days, do what he's been doing, take the ball, give us six, seven, eight innings. It's been amazing watching him all year, getting to catch him. It's been some of the most fun times behind the plate. So he's been incredible for us.”