Yankees’ Ben Rice gets redemption in crucial win over Blue Jays: Takeaways

TORONTO — Data centers may have been the only thing with a lower approval rating than the New York Yankees after two terrible losses and a third game Sunday that was heading for heartbreak.

Then Ben Rice, who had himself been the subject of much of the fans’ ire of late, got much-needed redemption.

Rice’s go-ahead, two-run home run in the 10th inning, coming after his own brutal error in the ninth, kept the Yankees from getting swept with a 4-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre.

“To come up there and essentially win the game for us in the 10th was massive,” manager Aaron Boone said.

“Definitely felt good,” Rice said.

Rice had been reeling.

He was 0-for-4 and had been hitting .158 in 27 games since the All-Star break before he stepped to the plate with one out in the 10th to face reliever Braydon Fisher. Rice had been one of the club’s brightest spots in the first half — one of four Yankees to make the American League All-Star team.

What’s worse, Rice botched an easy grounder from Josh Smith to start the ninth inning with the Yankees ahead 2-1 and closer David Bednar on the mound. Smith eventually scored after moving to second on a walk and to third on a wild pitch before Ernie Clement’s sacrifice fly to center field.

“Obviously,” Boone said, “no one is feeling worse at that point than Benny.”

But with one out and a 2-0 count, Rice mashed a hanging slider 438 feet for just his second home run in August. It scored extra-innings runner Ali Sánchez and was enough for the win despite the Blue Jays scoring a run against Tim Hill in the bottom half.

Rice had been 0-for-12 in the series up until that point, but he hit the ball hard a couple of times Sunday, and Boone felt he was trending toward making an impact.

“Definitely he’s gone through some struggles here recently,” Boone said. “But I do feel like the last couple of days, he’s getting his swing off and he’s been on time for some pitches. Just missed a handful. Good to see him really get into one and obviously in such a big spot.”

Rice said he didn’t have an excuse for the ninth-inning error and that “it’s a play that’s got to be made. Didn’t make it.”

But he spoke of the importance of a short memory.

“It’s just the way baseball is,” he said. “You don’t have the time to think about anything, especially when you have a tough error and right away there’s another batter coming up and you’ve got to be ready for that situation. When we get back on offense, I’m hitting second that inning. You don’t really have time to think about it. Just got to get ready.”

The Yankees are going to need Rice to rebound. They’re still waiting for Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger to return from the injured list.

Another bright spot for the Yankees? The victory came the same day as the first-place Tampa Bay Rays lost, shortening their deficit in the AL East to 5 1/2 games. It also came after the Yankees had lost three straight games while scoring a total of two runs.

“This season has tested our character and our resilience, and I think we have a lot of that in that (clubhouse),” Boone said. “It’s games like (these) we continue to find ourselves in, and we’ve got to keep fighting and know that we’re an incomplete team but we have a chance to be who we want to be. Love the fight.”

Tommy John, Hall of Fame?

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole said he believes longtime pitcher Tommy John, best known for his eponymous elbow surgery, should be in the Hall of Fame. John died Saturday at 83.

“Off those numbers,” Cole said, “certainly.”

John played 26 seasons, including eight for the Yankees. He was a four-time All-Star and finished his career 288-231 with a 3.34 ERA in 760 games (700 starts).

John had the surgery, which reconstructed his ulnar collateral ligament and revolutionized baseball medicine, in 1974. He pitched another 2,544 2/3 innings afterward.

“Remarkable amount of innings pitched after the surgery, as well,” Cole said. “Which, I think, is really cool and is tough to achieve.”

Cole had Tommy John surgery last year. He said he’s learned a lot about John over the years and couldn’t imagine pioneering such an important procedure.

“I read a couple quotes of an article earlier where he mentioned that he has a high pain tolerance and as long as the doctor fixed it up, he thought he was going to be able to come back,” Cole said. “I think it just takes a really strong person to do that and somebody who’s bold and at the same time really deliberate and disciplined.”

Bellinger bouncing back

The Yankees hope Bellinger (left hamstring strain) could begin a rehab assignment either Thursday or Friday of next week, Boone said. They plan for him to work out at Yankee Stadium again Tuesday after Monday’s off day. Bellinger has progressed to hitting on the field and sprinting in the outfield, and has said he believes his rehab is going well.

It’s unclear how many rehab games Bellinger might need.

Boone added that Judge (first right rib stress fracture) played catch and ran Sunday at Yankee Stadium. The manager also said pitcher Clarke Schmidt (Tommy John surgery) could pitch off a mound again in a “couple” of days.