Ben Rice hit a two-run eighth-inning triple and for the third straight game the New York Yankees used a late-inning rally to beat the Nationals, this time 5-3 Sunday in Washington.
New York rallied in the ninth inning Friday, the eighth inning Saturday and again in the eighth Sunday to close out the first half with a sweep
Max Schuemann singled off Andrew Alvarez (2-3) with two outs and went to second on a wild pitch. Trent Grisham walked and Rice sent a fly ball to left center. Center fielder Dylan Crews couldn’t make the play as the ball caromed off the wall with two runs scoring and Rice ending up on third.
The Yankees added a run in the ninth on Jose Caballero’s sacrifice fly.
Ryan Yarbrough (2-0) got the win. Given a late lead, the Yankee bullpen once again held it with Paul Blackburn pitching two innings for his first save.
Cody Bellinger had two hits for the Yankees (54-42), who have won four straight and enter the break second in the American League East and first in the wild-card race.
James Wood homered leading off the first for the second straight day and Curtis Mead also went deep for Washington (48-49), which enters the All-Star break fourth in the National League East and in wild-card contention.
The Nationals took a 3-2 lead in the seventh. After Jose Tena singled, Nasim Nunez pinch ran and stole second with two outs. Keibert Ruiz hit grounder up the middle and second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. made a sliding stop, but threw wildly to first and Nunez scored.
Washington starter Cade Cavalli, returning from a five-game suspension, allowed two runs on four hits over six innings.
New York’s Will Warren gave up a run on four hits in five innings.
Wood gave the Nationals a 1-0 lead with his 10th leadoff homer of the season.
Bellinger doubled leading off the Yankee fifth and scored when Chisholm lined a single to right. With two outs, Chisholm moved up on Cavalli’s wild pitch and scored to make it 2-1 when Austin Wells singled.
Pinch hitter Mead homered in the sixth to tie it.
