WASHINGTON (AP) — Not since 1910 — before Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Reggie Jackson and so on — had the New York Yankees swept a series quite like this.
Ben Rice’s two-run triple in the eighth inning Sunday helped the Yankees to a 5-3 victory over the Washington Nationals. New York trailed in the ninth Friday and in the eighth Saturday and Sunday but still won all three games.
It’s the first time the Yankees swept a series of at least three games while trailing in the eighth inning or later in each of them since May 19-21, 1910, according to Sportradar. Back then it was the New York Highlanders taking three straight from the Cleveland Naps.
The previous time any team accomplished the feat was June 13-15, 2014, when Colorado won three in a row at San Francisco.
“Winning at-bats in different ways in all three games,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “A good job by the pitching staff of holding a really good offense enough in check, and giving us a chance to win each game, and the guys just did some really good things late in games.”
On Friday, the Yankees trailed 3-2 when Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a two-run homer in the ninth. Austin Wells added a solo shot and New York won 5-3.
Washington led 2-0 before New York’s four-run eighth Saturday, which included homers by Ryan McMahon, Trent Grisham and Paul Goldschmidt.
On Sunday, the Yankees didn’t need any home runs. Down 3-2, Rice hit a drive that center fielder Dylan Crews was unable to catch against the wall.
“I didn’t think I got it quite right, but I saw it kept going,” Rice said. “The wind must have just been helping it just enough to make it a tough wall-ball play there.”
After another run in the ninth, the Yankees finished the series outscoring the Nationals 10-0 in the eighth and ninth innings.
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