NEW YORK — The New York Yankees authored one of the most remarkable comebacks in franchise history Thursday night. Down 5-0 and hitless through seven innings, they stormed back to defeat the Seattle Mariners 6-5 in 10 innings at Yankee Stadium.
Aaron Judge and Anthony volpe team up to steal the epic walk-off run in an extraordinary fashion to seal the win not seen in MLB for 48 years. The victory completed a three-game sweep and etched the Yankees into baseball’s record books, a first since 1977. This ties them with the Pirates, the other team since 1961 to win after trailing by five runs while being no-hit through seven frames.
Breaking point becomes turning point
Seattle’s Bryan Woo dominated early, retiring 20 consecutive batters after walking the first two in the opening frame. The right-hander carried a no-hitter deep into the eighth inning before the Yankees finally broke through.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. ended the no-hit bid with a leadoff single through the right side. Ben Rice followed with another single. Austin Wells drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly.
Then Giancarlo Stanton stepped up as a pinch-hitter and launched a two-run homer to right-center field. The blast cut Seattle’s lead to 5-3 and marked Stanton’s first career pinch-hit home run.
Late-inning drama reaches fever pitch
The Yankees entered the ninth inning still trailing by two runs. They faced Seattle’s All-Star closer Andrés Muñoz with their season hanging in the balance.
Trent Grisham opened with a single. Aaron Judge flew out to left field for the first out. Cody Bellinger kept the rally alive with another base hit.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a deep fly ball, and Ben Rice drew a walk to load the bases with two outs. The pressure mounted on Wells, who worked the count full.
Down to his final strike, Wells delivered a clutch single to right field. Both Grisham and Bellinger scored to tie the game 5-5. The crowd erupted in celebration.
“It was probably one of the better wins we’ve had,” Wells said. “It just shows the versatility that we have. I think we’ve shown that we can go big early in games and that we can come back late.”
Anthony Volpe ended the ninth with a deep fly to center field. The game moved to extra innings.
Volpe’s heroic slide caps miracle finish
Closer Devin Williams held the Mariners scoreless in the 10th inning. The Yankees quickly loaded the bases in the bottom half.
Oswald Peraza popped out attempting to bunt. Paul Goldschmidt drew an intentional walk. Grisham worked a full-count walk to set the stage for Judge.
The Yankees captain lifted a 1-1 slider from Gabe Speier to center field. The ball carried deep enough to test Julio Rodríguez’s strong arm.
Rodríguez fired a strike to home plate that appeared to beat Anthony Volpe. But the Yankees shortstop slid wide and extended his left arm around the tag. After a video review, umpires ruled him safe.
“What a great slide by Volpe,” said manager Aaron Boone. “I saw the throw was on target. I’m like, ‘Oh no,’ but I saw his hand in there, and Volp jumped up safe.”
Marcus Stroman praised the play: “That was an incredible throw by J-Rod out there, and then a sick, sick, sick slide by Volpe.”
Yankees join exclusive club
The Elias Sports Bureau confirmed the Yankees became only the second team since 1961 to win after being no-hit and trailing by five runs through seven innings. The 1977 Pittsburgh Pirates accomplished the same feat.
Woo dominated for 7.1 innings, throwing 103 pitches while allowing just two hits and striking out five batters. His performance nearly entered Yankees lore for all the wrong reasons.
“It felt like we were kind of getting dominated, frankly,” Boone admitted. “But baseball’s funny like that. The guys didn’t give up. No quit, just keep grinding at-bats.”
Stroman battles through adversity
Marcus Stroman kept the Yankees within reach despite allowing two earned runs over five innings. He tweaked his quad muscle while covering first base in the fourth inning but remained in the game.
“I’m just pitching confident,” Stroman said. “Not shying away from who I am as a pitcher.”
Clayton Beeter struggled in the seventh inning, walking two batters before surrendering a three-run homer to Jorge Polanco. The blast extended Seattle’s lead to 5-0 and seemed to seal the Yankees’ fate.
Instead, it merely set the stage for an unforgettable comeback.
Stanton delivers when it matters
Giancarlo Stanton has battled tennis elbow issues this season, limiting his playing time. But when called upon as a pinch-hitter, the veteran slugger came through in the clutch.
“I haven’t pinch-hit too much, and I haven’t been the greatest at it either,” Stanton acknowledged. “No lead is safe, so I had to make sure I was ready to go.”
His two-run homer in the eighth inning shifted the momentum completely. The blast reminded everyone of Stanton’s impact potential, even in limited opportunities.
Road ahead for resurgent Yankees
The victory extended the Yankees’ winning streak to four games and improved their record to 52-41. They earned just their second extra-inning victory of the season and first win when trailing after eight innings.
The Yankees now prepare for a crucial weekend series against the first-place Chicago Cubs. Carlos Rodón, Max Fried, and rookie Will Warren are scheduled to start the three-game set.
Whether this remarkable comeback signals a turning point remains uncertain. But on a memorable summer night in the Bronx, the Yankees proved they still possessed a championship fight.
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