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Yankees 5, Rays 4: Good news and bad news as New York takes crazy back-and-forth game

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MLB: Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees
Wendell Cruz-Imagn ImagesWendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees clawed their way through chaos, errors, and clutch moments to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 in 11 innings.

The win keeps the Yankees just four games behind the Toronto Blue Jays, and it was anything but routine. It had everything—a key balk, mental gaffes, defensive lapses, and dramatic late-game swings.

The Rays led 1-0 after seven and a half innings, then the Yankees took a 2-1 lead after eight, the Rays flipped the score again in the ninth, New York tied it in the bottom half, fell behind again 4-3 after nine and a half, knotted the score once more in the tenth and won it in the eleventh.

Wednesday night felt less like a baseball game and more like a three-act drama where every scene added tension. The Yankees survived it—and maybe even learned from it.

Will Warren Sets the Tone Early

Rookie right-hander Will Warren turned in a gem, allowing just one run over six innings with poise beyond his years.

Warren kept Tampa’s bats quiet for most of the night, pounding the zone with confidence and giving the Yankees a fighting chance. He struck out four and lowered his ERA to 4.64.

His fastball had life, his off-speed stuff fooled hitters, and most importantly, he didn’t unravel when things got tight.

Cody Bellinger Comes Through in the Clutch

Down 4-3 in the 10th, Cody Bellinger stepped up with a runner on second and the Yankees’ hopes flickering.

MLB: Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees
Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

He rifled a low Edwin Uceta changeup to the right-center gap for a game-tying triple that reignited the Yankee Stadium crowd.

It was the kind of moment Bellinger lives for—big spotlight, bigger stakes, and he delivered with surgical precision.

Stanton and Jazz Chisholm Jr. couldn’t end things in that inning, but Bellinger’s hit ensured they’d get another shot.

McMahon Walks It Off After Rays’ Mistake

With the game still tied in the 11th after Tim Hill got a huge scoreless top half, the Rays decided to walk Jasson Dominguez and face Ryan McMahon.

That strategy instantly backfired when Kevin Kelly balked, pushing both runners into scoring position (Jazz Chisholm Jr. was at second as the automatic runner) with no outs.

McMahon didn’t need to do too much—just get the ball airborne and far from the infield. He drove a deep fly that landed for a walk-off single.

Chisholm Jr. raced home, sending Yankee Stadium into a frenzy as the team poured out to mob McMahon, who has excelled as a Yankee in a handful of games.

Volpe Makes Another Error But Finds Redemption With His Bat

Anthony Volpe committed his 16th error of the season, a deficient throw to first that Ben Rice failed to secure cleanly.

Defensive lapses like these have raised concerns about Volpe’s throwing mechanics, especially under pressure.

But baseball, like life, sometimes hands you a second chance—and Volpe grabbed his with both hands in the ninth.

He sent a solo homer flying off Pete Fairbanks, tying the game 3-3 and redeeming himself in the most poetic way.

Devin Williams Still Searching for Rhythm

The Yankees handed Devin Williams a 2-1 lead in the ninth and trusted him to seal the win. He couldn’t.

After a leadoff walk, Williams gave up a two-run homer to Josh Lowe that flipped the game upside down.

It was another rough outing for Williams, whose ERA now sits at 5.01 since the All-Star break.

He’s allowed runs in four of his last six appearances—far from the lockdown closer the Yankees expected.

Wells’ Mental Lapse Nearly Dooms Yankees

With the game tied in the ninth and one out, Austin Wells ran himself into one of the season’s most frustrating blunders.

Trent Grisham bunted but couldn’t beat the throw to first. Wells advanced to second but then casually walked off the field, thinking there were already three outs.

There weren’t. First baseman Jonathan Aranda fired to second, and the Rays trapped Wells in a rundown for the actual third out.

“It can’t happen,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone bluntly. It was a little-league-level mistake in a playoff-caliber game.

MLB: Chicago Cubs at New York Yankees
Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

A Win With Bumps, But Still a Win

Despite the defensive hiccups, bullpen woes, and mental mistakes, the Yankees found a way to finish strong and stay close in the standings.

This game was ugly at times, beautiful at others—kind of like a Picasso painting that only makes sense when you step back.

In the end, it was McMahon’s walk-off and Bellinger’s triple that fans will remember, not the lapses in judgment.

It’s easy to forget about Warren’s excellent outing or Trent Grisham’s eight-inning homer because most of the action took place from the ninth inning on.

For a team chasing the postseason, survival is the name of the game—and the Yankees survived in unforgettable fashion.

READ MORE: The Yankees and Padres could help each other out big time this deadline

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