The New York Yankees completed a three-game sweep of the Washington Nationals on Sunday, winning the final game 5-3 on a two-run triple by Ben Rice in the eighth inning.
According to ESPN, the sweep was historic in a specific way: the Yankees came from behind to win each of the three games in the eighth inning or later. That kind of sustained late-game success across an entire series is rare at any level of baseball.
Rice's hit in the eighth was the decisive blow Sunday. The Yankees trailed entering the inning and needed a run-producing moment to hold off the Nationals. Rice delivered it. The 5-3 final gave New York a clean series result and extended what has been a pattern of clutch performance over the three days in Washington.
The Yankees entered Washington needing wins. They got all three, and they got them the hard way, staging late comebacks on each day of the series rather than pulling away early. The Nationals were unable to hold advantages into the final innings of any game.
Rice, who has been working to establish himself at the major league level, put his name on a sweep that will carry an unusual footnote in the Yankees' 2026 season record.
