Yankees get back on track against lowly Nationals

The schedule turned Charmin-soft once again on Monday and, once again, the Yankees were ready.

Thrilled to have the Red Sox leave town after needing a victory Sunday night to avoid a four-game sweep, the Yankees, behind six scoreless innings from seed-throwing rookie Cam Schlittler and home runs from Ben Rice, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Jasson Dominguez, pounded the horrible Nationals, 10-5, in front of 36,939 at the Stadium.

Leading 10-0 entering the ninth, Yerry de los Santos, working his third inning in relief of Schlittler, walked in a run with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth, giving way to Mark Leiter Jr., who allowed a grand slam to Jacob Young, which made it 10-5.

Schlittler, who took a perfect game into his previous start against the Rays and instead settled for 6 2/3 scoreless innings, allowed four hits and three walks Monday night.

“More of the same,” Aaron Boone said. “Big fastball, breaking ball presence, throwing strikes. He’s good. I mean, he’s good.”

The 24-year-old Schlittler (2-2, 2.76), successfully mixing his high 90s’ fastball that occasionally hits triple digits with a sinker, cutter and improving-by-the-outing curveball, matched his season-high in strikeouts with eight, his total in Tampa last Wednesday when he retired the first 18 batters he faced.

“I think the big thing is always being confident,” said Schlittler, who has a 1.63 ERA over his last five starts. “That’s something that’s been important to me over the last two years. Just being able to see the results as well and getting the confidence from the guys in this room just makes it a lot easier to go out there and do my job.”

The Yankees (71-60), who got two hits and three RBIs from Cody Bellinger, stayed one-half game behind the Red Sox for the American League’s top wild-card spot and a half-game ahead of the Mariners (who hosted the Padres late Monday night).

Rice, getting yet another start behind the plate for the slumping Austin Wells, hit his 21st homer of the season and Chisholm, who homered twice in Sunday night’s 7-2 victory over the Red Sox, set a new single-season high with his 25th blast. Dominguez hit a three-run homer, his 10th of the season and his first since July 23, in the seventh to make it 10-0.

“Obviously, when you’re penciled in at catcher, you’re going to prioritize handling your pitcher and getting him through that game, but you’re also in the lineup to go hit,” said Rice, who has four homers in his last nine games and five in his last 13 games. “Obviously, I take my at-bats very seriously and prepare for that as well.”

The Yankees outhit the Nationals (53-78), 12-9, four of the latter coming in garbage time in the ninth. Nationals righthander Brad Lord (5-6), who came in with a 3.46 ERA, allowed seven runs (six earned), eight hits and two walks over 4 1/3 innings.

Schlittler fell behind leadoff man James Wood before striking the leftfielder out looking at a 100-mph fastball. After CJ Abrams flied softly to center, Luis Garcia Jr. stung a base hit to right, the 107.9-mph liner glancing off the tip of a leaping Chisholm’s glove. Josh Bell grounded to second to end the 15-pitch inning.

The Yankees quickly went about giving Schlittler the lead. Trent Grisham struck out swinging, but Rice and Aaron Judge walked back-to-back and, with Bellinger up, a passed ball advanced the runners. Bellinger’s sacrifice fly made it 1-0.

Rice, slashing .305/.417/.644 over his last 17 games, made it 2-0 with one out in the third, crushing a first-pitch slider 435 feet into the bleachers in right-center.

Schlittler struck out Paul DeJong and Dylan Crews on 98-mph fastballs to start the fifth before walking Robert Hassel III. He struck out Young looking at a 91-mph cutter on his 79th pitch, his seventh strikeout through five innings.

Jose Caballero and Grisham opened the bottom of the fifth with consecutive singles, the former coming in on Judge’s RBI double. With the infield in and runners at second and third, Bellinger stroked a two-run single to center to make it 5-0. The hit improved the outfielder/first baseman to 35-for-109 (.321) with runners in scoring position this season.

Chisholm followed by hammering one into the second deck in right to make it 7-0 and end Lord’s night.

“For me, in those situations, it’s, “Ok, how am I going to try to win this at-bat?’” Bellinger said of his success with RISP. “And, ultimately, just trying to put the best swing that I can on the pitch I’m looking for.”

By Erik Boland

erik.boland@newsday.comeboland11

Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.