NEW YORK — In just his fifth game for the Yankees, Ryan McMahon wrote himself into franchise lore. A game that teetered on the edge of collapse turned into one of the most improbable nights in Major League Baseball history — thanks in part to McMahon, backed by a relentless Yankees lineup.
With the crowd buzzing inside Yankee Stadium, McMahon delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th inning on Wednesday night, sealing a 5-4 comeback win over the Tampa Bay Rays. The hit not only gave the Yankees a critical victory heading into the trade deadline, but also capped a game that made Major League history.
According to OptaStats, the Yankees became the first team in the modern era to erase deficits in the eighth, ninth, and tenth innings — and still win in the 11th.
“The Yankees are the only MLB team in the modern era to erase a deficit in the 8th, erase a deficit in the 9th, erase a deficit in the 10th and then win in the 11th,” OptaSTATS confirmed in a viral post on X.
“It just feels good to come through for the team,” McMahon said after the win. “Every win matters right now in this chase.”
McMahon’s moment, and early impact
For Ryan McMahon, this wasn’t just another walk-off hit. It was his second in three days. After joining the Yankees in a midseason trade, the veteran third baseman is quickly becoming one of the club’s most clutch performers.
With the game tied 4-4 in the 11th, McMahon stepped in with runners in scoring position. He ripped a line drive into right field, scoring the winning run and sparking an eruption from the Bronx crowd. Teammates mobbed him near first base as fireworks burst above the stadium.
Acquired last Friday in a trade with the Colorado Rockies, McMahon has wasted no time making his presence felt. Through five games, the 29-year-old third baseman is batting .353 (6-for-17) with four RBI. On Wednesday, he went 2-for-4 and finished the job with a 382-foot drive to center that scored Jazz Chisholm Jr., the automatic runner, from third.
McMahon had been prepared to bunt before a balk by Rays reliever Kevin Kelly moved Chisholm to third. With the pressure now shifted, he unleashed a decisive swing that ended one of the wildest games of the season.
“He’s got a good presence to him,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “He looks good in the room, and he’s a player.”
Acquired at the deadline from Colorado, McMahon has quickly become a key cog in New York’s retooled infield. But it’s his timely bat that’s done the talking.
His latest hit capped a wild rollercoaster of a game that nearly slipped away multiple times.
A seesaw game of chaos and comebacks
The game itself was filled with drama, miscues, and clutch moments. Down 1-0 entering the eighth, Trent Grisham opened the Yankees’ scoring with a game-tying homer — his 18th of the year, setting a new career high.
Giancarlo Stanton followed with a go-ahead single, giving New York a short-lived 2-1 edge.
In the top of the ninth, Josh Lowe crushed a two-run homer off closer Devin Williams, flipping the lead back to the Rays, 3-2. But Anthony Volpe tied it again in the bottom of the ninth with a solo blast off Pete Fairbanks.
Then came a critical blunder. After Austin Wells singled, he was tagged out between first and second on a bunt play by Grisham — forgetting there were only two outs.
“Just thought there was three outs,” Wells admitted. “Very embarrassed and disappointed.”
That mental lapse sent the game to extras, where even more twists awaited.
Dominguez saves the day, Bellinger ties it again
The Rays regained a 4-3 lead in the 10th on a sacrifice fly by Jonathan Aranda. Jasson Dominguez, though, may have saved the game with a leaping grab at the left-field wall that prevented more runs.
“I just need to go get it,” Dominguez said. “We practice that almost every week.”
In the bottom of the inning, Cody Bellinger came through with an RBI triple to score Volpe, knotting the game again at 4-4. Stanton and Chisholm stranded him, keeping the Yankees from walking it off one inning earlier.
Warren steady, Hill shuts it down
Rookie Will Warren was sharp again in his 23rd start of the season. The right-hander gave up just one run over six innings, working around traffic with steady poise.
“I forgot I pitched in the game, actually,” Warren said with a laugh. “That was awesome. It had that playoff feel.”
With multiple relievers already used, Boone reluctantly turned to Tim Hill in the 11th. The lefty delivered a scoreless inning to keep the door open.
“I may have caused the balk to be called because I was screaming from the dugout,” Warren joked, referring to the key miscue that put Chisholm on third.
Volpe’s error streak continues, homer streak too
Volpe’s night was another mixed bag. While his ninth-inning homer was critical, the shortstop also committed a throwing error in the eighth — his third in two games — drawing groans from the crowd.
Boone, though, remains supportive.
“I think Anthony’s super tough. He’s wired for this,” Boone said. “He’s made some mistakes on balls he needs to nail down, but that happens. I feel like his mental toughness will get him through this.”
Yankees make history on the brink of deadline
The final box score shows just one more win in the standings, but this game was unlike any other. By coming back in three consecutive late innings — and finishing the job in the fourth — the Yankees did something never seen in modern baseball.
Their resilience, chaos, and clutch hitting were all on display. It was a game of highs and lows, with McMahon standing tallest at the finish.
“This team does a great job of playing,” Boone said. “You’ve got to be able to withstand a mistake, because the next play is just too important.”
With the win, the Yankees (59-49) stayed within four games of the AL East-leading Blue Jays and clung to the top AL wild-card spot. They’ve now won two straight as they head into the final hours before the deadline.
For McMahon, it’s a start that feels right at home.
“It makes it a little bit easier to feel like you’re really part of a team,” he said. “But hey, man, this is an extremely humbling game. So just trying to take it day by day.”
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