Ben Rice plays hero as Yankees slug past Blue Jays  

The Yankees evened up their pivotal late-July three-game series in Toronto with a 5-4 victory, moving to three games back of the top spot in the division.

With all five runs sent home via the long ball, New York jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first thanks to a three-run bomb by Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Cody Bellinger crushed a solo shot in the fifth, his 18th of the year and one of his three hits in the game, but Toronto tacked on one of its own in the in the bottom half of the inning before tying the score with two more in the sixth.

New York had to use five relievers after rookie starter Cam Schlitter gave up a pair of runs off seven hits through five innings of work in his first no decision of his MLB career.

Aaron Judge, now hitting .346, has yet to record a hit so far in the series. He was 0-for-3 with a walk on Tuesday. 

But the Yankees didn't need Judge's heroics on this night. Rice was the one to put the cape on, rocking a ball into the stands in right field that would end up winning the game.

The Yankees' win means Wednesday will be the rubber match of this latest series between the two American League contenders. Both teams are 6-4 in their last 10 games.