ST. LOUIS — Jazz Chisholm Jr.‘s two-run blast and Luis Gil‘s solid pitching carried the New York Yankees to a hard-fought 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night. However, the Bronx Bombers weathered a tense finish at Busch Stadium until the shoestring catch by Cody Bellinger sealed the win.
The triumph moves the Yankees to 65-57 and provides breathing room in their wild-card chase. New York now holds a 1.5-game advantage over Cleveland for the AL’s third playoff spot while remaining 6.5 games back of first-place Toronto in the East.
Chisholm’s power stroke fuels fast start
New York’s offense struck quickly against Cardinals right-hander Andre Pallante in the opening frame. After Trent Grisham drew a leadoff walk and Ben Rice smacked a double, Aaron Judge plated the game’s first run with a sacrifice groundout.
Jazz Chisholm then stepped up with two outs and launched a 95-mph fastball over the right field wall for his 21st homer of 2025, staking the visitors to a commanding 3-0 lead.
“I feel like we’re starting to click as a team,” Chisholm said postgame. “I feel like the energy’s starting to come back.”
The Yankees extended their margin in the third when Chisholm walked, swiped second base, moved to third on a wild pitch, and raced home on Jasson Dominguez’s clutch two-out single for a 4-0 cushion.
Gil weathers early pressure with defensive help
Making just his third start of the campaign, Luis Gil navigated through traffic early with assistance from stellar defense behind him. The right-hander induced three inning-ending double plays through his first three frames, including two that featured Cody Bellinger’s slick work at first base.
Bellinger initiated a 3-6-3 twin killing in the opener before making a spectacular grab-and-step maneuver to retire the side in the third inning.
Gil’s most precarious moment arrived in the fifth when St. Louis loaded the bases with nobody out. The hurler escaped unharmed by coaxing a popup, fanning Thomas Saggese with a 99-mph heater, and inducing a harmless grounder.
“No. 1 tonight, the defense,” Gil said through his interpreter. “That’s what really helped me out tonight and allowed me to get to the sixth inning.”
The Cardinals finally dented the scoreboard in the sixth via back-to-back doubles from Lars Nootbaar and Masyn Winn, prompting manager Aaron Boone to summon Mark Leiter Jr. from the bullpen after Gil logged 5.1 innings of one-run ball.
Late rally tests Yankees’ resolve
St. Louis mounted a serious threat in the seventh against reliever Camilo Doval, who surrendered two runs despite recording two strikeouts. After walking Jordan Walker and plunking Pedro Pages, Doval allowed Victor Scott II to rope an RBI double that made it 4-2.
Luke Weaver entered with runners in scoring position but immediately faced adversity when his changeup skipped past catcher Ben Rice, allowing Pages to cross the plate and trim New York’s lead to 4-3.
The Cardinals continued pressing in the eighth after Ivan Herrera singled with two outs. Weaver then threw wildly on a pickoff attempt, with the ball sailing past first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and moving the tying run into scoring position. Weaver responded by striking out Nolan Gorman to preserve the one-run margin.
Yankees squander chances for insurance
New York’s offense went cold after building the early advantage, managing just three hits with runners in scoring position while stranding nine baserunners. The missed opportunities proved costly as St. Louis chipped away at the deficit.
The Yankees loaded the bases in the ninth but came up empty when Bellinger popped out to end the frame, leaving the outcome in doubt heading to the bottom half.
“We just need to win,” general manager Brian Cashman had emphasized before the contest. “We’ve got to win tonight’s game and keep it simple, one game at a time.”
Bednar secures second save as Yankee
Closer David Bednar, obtained at the trade deadline, worked a perfect ninth to notch his second save in pinstripes. The right-hander fanned two batters before Bellinger made a diving catch on Yohel Pozo‘s sinking liner to seal the victory.
Bellinger’s defensive excellence throughout the night drew praise from his skipper.
“Hadn’t been over there in a while and just looks like a complete natural over there at first,” Boone said of Bellinger’s work at multiple positions. “And then doing what he normally does in the outfield.”
Wild card race tightens
The victory gains significance with Cleveland’s 2-0 loss to Atlanta, expanding New York’s cushion for the final playoff berth. However, wins by Toronto and Boston prevented the Yankees from making up ground in their division.
New York has captured three of four games and four of six contests while trying to generate sustained momentum. The club struggled through a 23-32 stretch since mid-June but appears to be finding its rhythm at a crucial juncture.
“I feel like we need to step it up anyway, no matter if he was here or not,” Chisholm said regarding Cashman’s presence on the road trip. “We need to win games, we need to get the playoffs and we need to win the World Series.”
Key contributions across the roster
Dominguez returned to the starting lineup for the first time since Aug. 10, collecting one hit in four at-bats while delivering the game’s fourth run. Jose Caballero provided offensive spark with two hits in three plate appearances.
Gil’s performance marked another step forward in his recovery from a lat strain that sidelined him for the season’s first five months. After a rocky debut in Miami, the hurler has allowed three earned runs over 10.2 innings in his past two outings.
The series continues Saturday as both clubs seek to solidify their postseason positioning. For the Cardinals (61-62), the loss keeps them mired in mediocrity within the National League Central standings.
With 40 regular season games remaining, Friday’s triumph showcased the type of complete effort the Yankees must replicate consistently. The combination of timely hitting, adequate pitching, and stellar defense provides a template for success as October approaches.
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