TThe New York Yankees fell 6-4 to the Athletics on Saturday night in West Sacramento, snapping a winning streak heading into Sunday’s series finale.
The Yankees trailed 6-1 entering the ninth inning. What happened next was remarkable, even if it came up short.
By the time the final out was recorded, New York had pushed three runs across the plate almost entirely without swinging the bat, and had the tying run at second base with a chance to complete one of the more improbable comebacks of the season.
How the Yankees Nearly Stole It
GettyRyan McMahon of the New York Yankees.
New York’s ninth-inning rally was built almost entirely on patience. Over the final 28 pitches of the game, the Yankees swung just twice.
It started when Ryan McMahon singled and J.C. Escarra walked. After Anthony Volpe struck out, the Yankees went to work against a wild Athletics bullpen. Trent Grisham drew a walk to load the bases, then Ben Rice, Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger each worked full-count walks to force in three runs. Judge’s was the only swing of the group, a big hack through a curveball.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. then grounded out to end it, stranding the tying run on second.
Manager Aaron Boone was encouraged by what he saw despite the result. The Yankees did not complete the comeback, but the quality of the ninth-inning at-bats stood out to him.
“Just great at-bats to give us a chance there,” Boone said. “To not only get the tying run to the plate but then have the go-ahead runs on base there at the end, just a lot of patient, real quality at-bats, forcing them to come into the zone.”
McMahon reflected on what the inning showed. “There was a lot of belief that we were going to come through,” he said. Losing stings, but the approach was right.
What the Numbers Showed
The Yankees managed just six hits on the night. They went zero for seven with runners in scoring position across the first eight innings. The offense did not come alive until it was almost too late.
Ryan Weathers took the loss, allowing three home runs over 6.2 innings. Tyler Soderstrom, Shea Langeliers and Nick Kurtz all went deep to put the game out of reach before New York’s late rally.
McMahon was one of the few bright spots, finishing two for four. Since going through an extended hitless stretch earlier this month, he has hit .310 over his last eight games with a .965 OPS. Grisham reached base twice, pushing his on-base percentage to .329, the highest it has been since mid-April.
Yankees Final Word
Amed Rosario was placed on the paternity list ahead of the game, leaving the Yankees a man short for both Saturday and Sunday’s series finale. He left for the birth of his child and a replacement was not flown in given the timing. Rosario could return as early as Tuesday when New York opens a homestand against the Cleveland Guardians.
The comeback attempt showed the right mentality. The result just did not follow.
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