Bronx, New York – The New York Yankees rode home runs from Ben Rice, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Jasson Dominguez to a 10-5 win over the Washington Nationals on August 25, 2025, at Yankee Stadium, taking two of three in the interleague series and staying in the mix for an American League playoff spot.
Rice opened the long-ball barrage with a solo shot in the third inning, Chisholm added a two-run homer in the fifth and Dominguez delivered a three-run blast in the seventh, building a 10-0 lead before Washington responded with a five-run ninth capped by Jacob Young’s grand slam. The game unfolded before 36,939 fans under partly cloudy skies with temperatures at 81 degrees and a 13 mph wind out to center field.
Cam Schlittler earned the win for the Yankees, improving to 2-2 with a 2.76 ERA after pitching six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out eight without issuing a walk. He threw 96 pitches, 63 for strikes, keeping the Nationals’ offense in check through the middle frames. Brad Lord took the loss for Washington, falling to 4-7 with a 3.84 ERA after surrendering seven runs on eight hits over 4 1/3 innings, with two walks and five strikeouts on 78 pitches, 52 strikes. Enyel De Los Santos handled two innings in relief for New York, allowing four hits and four runs while striking out two. Jack Leiter Jr. entered in the ninth but yielded one hit, one run and one walk before closing out the game. Washington’s relievers included Josh Rutledge (1 2/3 scoreless innings), Thaddeus Henry (one inning, three runs) and Joseph Poulin (one scoreless inning).
The Yankees struck first in the bottom of the first. Rice walked, Aaron Judge doubled to right and Cody Bellinger hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Rice for a 1-0 lead. Rice, the Yankees’ catcher in his second full season, extended the margin in the third with a solo home run to right-center off Lord, his 21st of the year. The blast measured 435 feet, marking a career long for the 26-year-old drafted in the 12th round in 2021 from Dartmouth College. The fifth inning proved pivotal as Jose Caballero singled and Trent Grisham was hit by a pitch. Judge followed with a ground-rule double down the right-field line, scoring Caballero and advancing Grisham. Bellinger then singled sharply to center, driving in Grisham and Judge for a 5-0 lead. Bellinger finished 1-for-3 with three RBIs. Chisholm capped the inning with a two-run homer to right off Lord, his 25th of the season, scoring Bellinger to make it 7-0. Chisholm, acquired from Miami in 2024, has provided a spark in the Yankees’ lineup, batting .240 with 64 RBIs through August.
New York added to its cushion in the seventh off Henry. Chisholm walked, Paul Goldschmidt doubled to left and Dominguez launched a three-run homer to right-center, his 10th of the year, for a 10-0 advantage. Dominguez, the 22-year-old outfielder known as “The Martian” for his prodigious talent, has hit .256 with 43 RBIs in his sophomore season after debuting in 2023. Goldschmidt contributed a 2-for-4 performance with a double, batting .285 overall.
Washington avoided a shutout in the ninth against Leiter, who inherited two runners from De Los Santos. Riley Adams singled, Paul DeJong singled and Dylan Crews walked to load the bases. Robert Hassell III drew a walk to force in Adams, trimming the deficit to 10-1. Young then connected for a grand slam to right-center, his first home run of the season, scoring DeJong, Crews and Hassell for the 10-5 final. Young, a 23-year-old center fielder in his third year, finished 1-for-3 with four RBIs, batting .231 with 24 RBIs on the year.
Defensive plays and miscues dotted the game. Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams committed a throwing error in the fifth, his 15th of the season, allowing an unearned run. Adams had a passed ball behind the plate. Schlittler picked off Young at first base in the fourth. The Yankees turned two double plays, including one in the first to erase a leadoff single, while Washington induced two ground-into-double-plays from Josh Bell. New York collected 12 hits, stranding six runners and going 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position. Washington managed nine hits, leaving five on base and converting 1-for-4 in those opportunities.
The win kept the Yankees in third place in the AL East at 71-60, behind Toronto at 77-55 and Boston at 72-60, with Houston leading the AL West at 72-59 for playoff positioning. New York has won seven of its last 10 games, bolstered by a lineup that ranks second in the majors with 289 home runs. Washington, losers of eight of its last 10, sits last in the NL East at 53-78, trailing Philadelphia at 76-55 and New York Mets in second. The Nationals continue to develop young talent like Crews, the 2023 second overall draft pick from LSU, and Young, drafted in the seventh round in 2021.
Interleague play between the Yankees and Nationals dates to 2006, with New York holding a 23-21 edge overall. The teams have met in exhibitions, including a 2013 game at Nationals Park and a 2023 matchup. This series saw the Yankees win 3-1 in 2025, adding to their historical advantage.
As the regular season nears its conclusion, the Yankees aim for a wild-card berth, while the Nationals focus on building for the future amid a challenging year.
