Some games don’t need a dozen runs to break your heart. Tuesday night in Seattle was one of those gut-punches—quiet on the scoreboard, loud in emotion.
In a game that had the feel of October, the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners engaged in a tense, 11-inning standoff between two of the American League’s most electric pitching staffs.
What they lacked in offense, they made up for in sweat, grit, and gut-wrenching moments.
On the night, the Yankees stranded opportunity after opportunity, going 0-for-14 with runners in scoring position—their worst such performance since 1990. For all their arms, all their chances, they walked away empty-handed.
Pitching dominates in duel between Fried and Woo
Every inning felt like a tightrope walk, and two of the league’s best were walking it like circus veterans. Max Fried, the Yankees’ prized $218 million acquisition, delivered five solid innings despite not having his best command.
He allowed one run on four hits and two walks, striking out five and lowering his ERA to a league-best 1.11. In any other game, that might have been enough.
But Mariners’ right-hander Bryan Woo matched him pitch for pitch, even besting him slightly.
Woo went 6.1 innings, scattering four hits with six strikeouts and no walks. His fastball danced. His command was surgical.
On a night where every baserunner felt like a minor miracle, Woo turned the Yankees’ lineup into frustrated statues.
It was the kind of battle that feels more like a chess match than baseball. One wrong move could be checkmate.
Yankees’ bullpen battles hard but can’t hold on
When Fried exited, the Yankees turned to their bullpen—and for five innings, it was heroic. Fernando Cruz, Mark Leiter Jr., Luke Weaver, and Devin Williams all kept the scoreboard clean, giving the offense chance after chance to steal the game.
But the 11th inning arrived like a cold slap. With Tim Hill on the mound and a ghost runner already on second, Ben Williamson led off with a single to push the winning run to third. No outs. The margin of error disappeared entirely.
J.P. Crawford ended the game with a line drive down the left field line that landed fair by inches. Seattle walked it off, while Hill walked off the mound with the weight of a long night hanging over him.
Controversial strikeout sparks Boone’s ejection
Just two innings earlier, in the ninth, it looked like the Yankees had stolen some late magic. A throwing error after Anthony Volpe’s check-swing helped tie the game at 1-1.
With momentum finally leaning their way, they had a man on second and one out.
Jasson Dominguez came to the plate with a chance to make a name for himself in the big moment. He watched a fastball miss low—only for the home plate umpire to ring him up anyway. The call wasn’t borderline. It was bad.
Aaron Boone was ejected after this AWFUL strike three call on Jasson Dominguez and got ALL up in the home plate umpire’s face😳#Yankees pic.twitter.com/lcqQ4UrGKM
— Fireside Yankees (@FiresideYankees) May 14, 2025
Dominguez threw his arms up in disbelief. The Yankees’ dugout erupted. And Aaron Boone, never one to hold back, stormed onto the field, unleashing a torrent of frustration that got him tossed.
One call turned a hopeful rally into a dead end. Instead of one out and a chance, the Yankees had two down and no momentum.
Wasted chances define a night of missed opportunities
A game like this is like a high-wire act across a canyon. The Yankees were on the wire—longer, farther, grittier—but in the end, they slipped at the worst time.
They had 14 chances with runners in scoring position and came away with nothing. That’s not just a stat. That’s a story of almosts, of nearlys, of what-ifs.
The Mariners took their moment and cashed it in. The Yankees had theirs, again and again—and came up short.
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