Daily Report – 9/29/25
Yankees
The New York Yankees did everything they could, but they couldn’t win their division. However, they beat Baltimore 3-2 for their eighth straight win, and finished their regular season tied with Toronto for the best record in the American League. The Yankees will face the Boston Red Sox in a best-of-three Wild Card series beginning tomorrow night in the Bronx.
It’s easy to remember all the tough Yankees losses this season, particularly to the Blue Jays, that have forced them to play a Wild Card series. But it’s also important to consider that the Yankees posted a league-best 29-12 record since August 12, including wins against top American League teams.
“A month-and-a-half ago, we were teetering,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone recalled. “To right the ship and then really solidify our position and then have a real shot at the East here all the way to the last day is hopefully something that serves us well.”
Yesterday, Ben Rice homered twice for the Yankees as they overcame a 2-1 deficit to sweep the Orioles. His first home run came in the first inning as he sent the first pitch from Kyle Bradish into Monument Park. His second blast was a go-ahead solo shot in the eighth inning on a high fastball from Rico Garcia. It marked his 26th home run of the season and his first to travel the opposite way.
“Obviously, it was a good way to close out the year,” said Rice, who has posted a .304 batting average and a .943 OPS in his last 44 games. “We fell short of the goal to win the division, but now we’re just on to the postseason and just focusing on the [Wild Card] series.”
The Yankees’ third run – their second of the game – came off the bat of Giancarlo Stanton. After Baltimore took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth inning with back-to-back home runs from Jordan Westburg and Gunnar Henderson, Aaron Judge led off the bottom of the frame with a single, and Cody Bellinger followed suit. Then, Giancarlo Stanton tied the game with an RBI single that plated Judge.
Judge finished his sensational 2025 campaign with a .331 average, the best in baseball, earning him his first career batting title. While Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh’s 60 home runs might earn him the AL MVP award this season, Judge leads all of MLB in batting average (.331), on-base percentage (.457), slugging percentage (.688), OPS (1.145), intentional walks (36, more than any other team), fWAR (10.1), and go-ahead home runs (24). Additionally, his 53 home runs are the most by any MLB batting champion, and he achieved all of that despite missing 10 games with a flexor strain.
I’m not sure the voters would agree, but I believe Judge is more deserving of the MVP than Raleigh.
On the mound for the Yankees, Luis Gil sputtered through his final regular-season start, allowing two runs, but on just three hits and two walks. Fernando Cruz worked into and out of trouble in the sixth inning as he made an impressive play at home plate, and Trent Grisham ran down a 100 mph 395-foot fly ball in center field. Luke Weaver got two strikeouts in the seventh inning, and Devin Williams earned the win with a scoreless eighth. Then, David Bednar secured his 27th save in the bottom of the ninth inning.
“We can beat [teams] in different ways, but we’ve still got to go out and do it,” Boone said. “We’re a long way away from that. We’re confident going in. I know the guys are, and hopefully we put our best foot forward.”
The Yankees ended their 2025 regular season on a high note, but for the 27-time world champions, nothing in the regular season matters if it doesn’t lead to a championship. This group of Yankees players knows what it takes to get to the World Series, but they’ll have to overcome Boston first.
Schedule
7:00 PM (6:00 PM CDT): 2025 NHL Preseason Hockey: NYR at NYI; MSG, Gotham Sports
7:15 PM (6:15 PM CDT): Monday Night Football (MNF), Week 4 – New York Jets (0-3) at Miami Dolphins (0-3); ESPN
8:15 PM (7:15 PM CDT): Monday Night Football (MNF) Nightcap, Week 4 – Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) at Denver Broncos (1-2); ABC
