Yankees bullpen delivers encouraging sign ahead of postseason with 7-1 win over Orioles in 10 innings

BALTIMORE — The Yankees' bullpen offered a bright sign heading toward October, as six relievers combined to pitch 4 2/3 scoreless innings and hold the Orioles at bay until the offense finally broke through in the 10th for a 7-1 win at Camden Yards. In relief of Cam Schlitter in a 1-1 game, lefty Tim Hill got the final two outs of the sixth and then retired another left-handed hitter to open the seventh.

Fernando Cruz worked around a pair of runners with a strikeout, which forced Luke Weaver into the game to eventually get Jackson Holliday to ground out and leave the bases loaded. Devin Williams struck out the side in the eighth against the heart of the Orioles order, and Boone used him frequently on the 10-game trip, a sequence that yielded nine strikeouts over five scoreless innings with just two hits and no walks.

David Bednar worked around a walk in the ninth to send the game to extras, where Camilo Doval left the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th to close it out. The performance gave the Yankees a rare extended look at late-inning depth in a tight, postseason-relevant stretch.

“Hopefully continue to stack days,” Boone said. “They all were really good today. Timmy did his thing, Cruz did just enough to pass it off, and Weaver getting it done again today. Devin was lights-out again and so was Bed. It got a little interesting there in the 10th, but I thought Camilo threw the ball well. They’re all capable of that right there. It’s good to see them piling some good outings together.”

They carried that momentum into a four-game series where the bullpen surrendered just one run across 11 1/3 innings. José Caballero appeared to be in pain after striking out in the fifth, hunching over and then heading down the stairs toward the clubhouse. He reemerged to play shortstop in the bottom of the frame and stayed in the game, adding a bunt single and a double. Boon said Caballero has been dealing with a finger issue for months, and occasional swings can flare it up.

Coming out of Monday’s off-day, the Yankees are set to start Luis Gil on Tuesday against the White Sox and Max Fried on Wednesday. Thursday is listed as TBD for now. It would be Will Warren’s turn, but the Yankees could also bring back Carlos Rodón on normal rest, which would give him an extra day heading into a likely Game 2 start in the wild-card series.

The Yankees’ latest bullpen showing comes at a critical juncture as they navigate a potential postseason rotation and look for reliable depth behind their starting pitchers. The performance suggested that, even as the roster adjusts for October, the bullpen could be a meaningful asset in high-leverage spots, which could influence bullpen usage and rotation planning in the coming days.