As Ben Rice battled future Corridor of Famer Max Scherzer within the first inning of Sunday’s rubber match between the Yankees and Blue Jays, Cody Bellinger, standing off first base, motioned to Aaron Decide, main off of second base.
Twice, the runner prolonged their arms.
“That is correct,” Bellinger stated afterward. “That is what was happening.”
With Decide in his sightline, the gestures instructed Rice to arrange for Scherzer’s changeup. He laid off of 1 earlier than hammering one other deep to proper, however foul. However with Scherzer tipping certainly one of his pitches, Rice managed to work his manner again from a 1-2 depend, fouled off a couple of pitches, and drilled a 3-2 fastball for a three-run homer.
“I felt like I was getting a better feel for his fastball, better feel for his offspeed,” Rice stated. “Timing felt good. I kind of just waited him out, waited for something over the plate.”
Whereas Rice didn’t point out tipping after the Yankees received, 4-3, everybody discovered what they have been doing, as Sunday wasn’t the primary time they’ve been caught within the (completely authorized) act this season. That included the Blue Jays.
“They’re good at it,” Toronto supervisor John Schneider stated, per Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae. “Major League Baseball knows the Yankees are good when they have something. Maybe I’m the only one that’s going to say it publicly, but we have to do a better job of making sure we’re not giving anything away.”
“Guys at first don’t typically flap their arms like that,” added Jays first baseman Ty France. “It’s just part of the game.”
Max Scherzer was tipping his changeup (see Aaron Decide) earlier than that Ben Rice HR, which got here on a fastball. #Yankees #BlueJays pic.twitter.com/tyGlPHyDhY
Throughout Ben Rice’s dwelling run at-bat, Cody Bellinger initiated the pitch tipping indicators on Max Scherzer’s changeup from first base (look carefully on the video under). He relayed them to Aaron Decide, who relayed them to Rice.
“That’s right,” Bellinger said. “That’s what was… pic.twitter.com/A2m5vZymgJ
Rice’s signal-assisted blast proved pivotal within the Yankees’ victory, which put the Bombers simply two video games behind Toronto within the American League East. The Jays maintain the tiebreaker because of their favorable head-to-head-record this 12 months.
If the 2 groups play once more this season, it will likely be within the playoffs.
“[That’s] obviously the team we’re chasing,” Aaron Boone stated. “So to win 2-out-of-3 after dropping the first game and getting in late [Friday morning], it’s definitely a good series for us.”
Poor protection nearly dashed the Yankees’ hopes of gaining floor within the division on Sunday, as Aaron Decide’s arm, nonetheless working its manner again from a flexor pressure, turned a focus but once more after he didn’t throw dwelling in Friday’s loss, sparking loads of questions and much more spin from the precise fielder and Boone.
“I wouldn’t be in the outfield if I wasn’t able to make that throw,” Decide stated on the time, besides he didn’t make that throw.
On Sunday, Decide’s arm reclaimed the highlight after Alejandro Kirk walked within the second inning. Ernie Clement moved Kirk to 3rd with a hustle double, which he slashed to proper. Decide tried to get Clement at second base and practically did, as he threw straight to the bag. Nevertheless, the throw was solely 70.7 mph and got here in too late.
“I thought he got a good throw off in the corner there,” Boone stated, however Decide can crack 85 mph with ease when at full power, and he’s topped 90 mph 11 instances this season.
Decide’s missing arm power took an excellent greater toll on the Yankees three batters later, as Nathan Lukes adopted an Isiah Kiner-Falefa RBI single with a 280-foot sac fly to proper. After catching the ball, Decide made a lightweight toss to cutoff man Jazz Chisholm Jr., permitting Clement to attain and not using a relay throw to the plate.
Whereas Clement’s dash pace is within the 84th percentile — gunning him down wouldn’t have been assured — Decide sometimes makes an attempt that throw to the plate.
Decide’s arm wasn’t the one one which got here up quick on Sunday, because the Blue Jays tied the sport within the third inning when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. adopted a George Springer two-bagger and Anthony Volpe’s nineteenth error of the season with an RBI double.
Volpe, who solely trails Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz (22 errors) in that division, didn’t cost a grounder earlier than making a low throw that pulled a scooping Rice off of first base. Whereas his newest mishap didn’t result in an unearned run, Volpe entered the sport with -8 Outs Above Common.
He additionally struck out 3 times on Sunday, eliciting boos.
Toronto may have completed extra injury after knotting issues up, however Max Fried went on to flee a second and third, nobody-out jam with three consecutive grounders.
Fried finally totaled seven innings, six hits, three earned runs, one stroll, 4 strikeouts and 100 pitches.
“The one inning where they got a chance to take the lead there, we don’t make a play, and he gets a couple of huge outs to get out of it to keep it tied,” Boone stated. “That was really big. And then I thought he settled in pretty well.”
In the meantime, the Yankees retook the lead within the backside of the third when Decide walked, stole a base and scored on a Bellinger double off the wall.
Fortuitously for the Yankees, Decide can nonetheless transfer nicely, as he saved a run within the fourth body with an inning-ending diving catch that stranded a runner on second.
“The ball was hit really hard, so that’s a tough read,” Bellinger stated. “He got a good jump on it, and that was a great catch in a big part of the game.”
There’s a case to be made that Decide’s vary and the prospect to maintain the motionless, oft-injured Giancarlo Stanton away from the outfield is a worthwhile tradeoff for the captain’s arm points. However as an alternative of attempting to promote that time, the Yankees have pretended that the whole lot is okay with Decide’s throws and gotten agitated when requested in regards to the topic to this point.
Whereas protection damage the Yankees early, there have been a couple of internet gems. The ninth inning noticed Austin Wells throw out a stealing Nathan Lukes, whereas Ryan McMahon made a handful of fairly performs all through the afternoon, together with a popup catch that led him into the Blue Jays’ dugout.
“He wants the ball,” Fried stated. “He tells me every day, he’s like, ‘Get me the ball. Get me as much as you can today.’”
Added Boone: “I used to say about Gio [Urshela], it looked like he’s slipping into a warm bath when he picks up a ground ball. Mac’s got that same quality. Big third base arm, athletic, rangey. He’s really good over there.”
With a blended bag on protection, a gutsy outing from Fried and a tip on the plate, the Yankees can get pleasure from Monday’s off day following a crucial sequence win.
“It’s huge,” Rice stated. “That being said, we’ve got more work to do.”
Two tougher sequence await, because the Yankees will host the Tigers for 3 video games earlier than delivery as much as Boston. Casey Mize, Jack Flaherty and a to-be-determined pitcher are scheduled to start out for Detroit.
Will Warren, Carlos Rodón and Cam Schlittler will take the ball for the Yankees in opposition to the first-place Tigers.
“We have a chance to be a really excellent club,” Boone stated. “And the one thing I know is we’re pretty healthy, and I feel like we have a lot of guys that are in a good place. We are in a position to go get it. Now we gotta go do it, but I’ve felt that way for a long time.”
Initially Printed: September 7, 2025 at 4:27 PM EDT
