Rice’s late homer lifts Yankees over Blue Jays 5-4 to cut Toronto’s AL East lead to 3

The New York Yankees got a ninth inning home to bring the Toronto Blue Jays’ 11-game to a halt in a 5-4 defeat.

TORONTO — Ben Rice’s ninth-inning home run helped the New York Yankees salvage a 5-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday.

Jazz Chisholm Jr., had a three-run homer in the first inning and Cody Bellinger added a solo shot in the fifth for an early New York (56-45) lead.

Cam Schlittler gave up seven hits and three walks over five innings but limited the Blue Jays to just two runs.

Relievers Tim Hill, Jonathan Loaisiga, Luke Weaver, Ian Hamilton (2-1) and Devin Williams following Schlittler to the mound.

Pinch-hitter Davis Schneider and George Springer each had an RBI double to tie it 4-4 for Toronto (59-42) in the sixth. Addison Barger kept the Blue Jays in the game with RBI singles in the first and fifth.

Max Scherzer gave up four runs on five hits and a walk over five innings, striking out four.

Mason Fluharty, Justin Bruihl, Jeff Hoffman (6-3) came out of the bullpen with Hoffman taking the loss.

TAKEAWAYS

Yankees: New York got to Scherzer, a future Hall of Famer, early with Trent Grisham and Bellinger leading the game off with back-to-back hits. Although two-time MVP Aaron Judge struck out, Chisholm took Scherzer deep to right field for the 3-0 lead.

Blue Jays: Manager John Schneider subbed in pinch hitters Myles Straw and Davis Schneider in the sixth inning and the gambit paid off. Straw, in for Joey Loperfido, reached base on shortstop Anthony Volpe’s throwing error. Two batters later, Schneider doubled in Straw. Springer then drove in Schneider with his two-bagger to tie the game 4-4.

KEY MOMENT

Hoffman came on in the ninth to shutdown the middle of the Yankees’ batting order and set up a potential Toronto walk-off victory. The Blue Jays’ closer hung a 96.9 miles per hour four-seam fastball high in the strike zone and Rice crushed it to reclaim New York’s lead.

KEY STAT

Toronto’s four-game win streak and franchise-best 11-game home win streak were snapped with the loss, but the Blue Jays still hold a three-game lead over the Yankees in the American League East standings.

UP NEXT

Chris Bassitt (10-4) will take the mound as Toronto finishes its three-game series with New York.

Ace Max Fried (11-3) gets the start for the Yankees.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 22, 2025.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press