Yankees Pull Off Historic Comeback, Defeat Mariners in 10th After Being No-Hit into the 8th
In a stunning display of resilience, the New York Yankees overcame a five-run deficit and a near no-hitter to defeat the Seattle Mariners 6-5 on Thursday night. The final score only hints at the dramatic arc of the game, which saw the Yankees’ win probability plummet to a mere 1.3% in the top of the eighth inning.
The improbable victory, secured in the Bronx, marks the first time since June 24, 1977, that a team has won a game after being no-hit through eight innings while trailing by five or more runs, according to MLB.com. The win improves the Yankees’ record to 52-41, narrowing the Toronto Blue Jays’ lead in the American League East to just two games. Conversely, the Mariners fell to 48-45, remaining one game behind the Boston Red Sox for the final AL wild-card spot.
For seven and a half innings, Seattle appeared poised to secure a dominant victory. All-Star right-hander Bryan Woo was on the verge of history, carrying a no-hitter into the eighth. However, the script flipped dramatically when Jazz Chisholm Jr., an All-Star and Home Run Derby participant, broke up the bid with a leadoff single.
“That was the spark we needed,” a senior baseball analyst commented.
The single ignited a rally. Ben Rice followed with another hit, advancing Chisholm to third, and Austin Wells drove him in with a sacrifice fly. Seattle quickly turned to reliever Matt Brash, but the momentum had shifted. Two batters later, Giancarlo Stanton launched a pinch-hit home run, cutting the Mariners’ lead to 5-3.
Entering the bottom of the ninth, the Yankees still faced a daunting two-run deficit, with their chances of winning estimated at less than 10%. Despite the odds, the Yankees loaded the bases with two outs, putting their faith in Wells. He delivered, keeping their hopes alive.
The game remained tied until the 10th inning. Revitalized reliever Devin Williams shut down the Mariners, stranding the automatic runners with a strikeout and two groundouts. However, the Yankees’ half of the inning began inauspiciously when Oswald Peraza popped up a bunt, failing to advance Anthony Volpe, the automatic runner.
Facing a critical juncture, Yankees manager Aaron Boone called upon Paul Goldschmidt to pinch-hit for Jasson Dominguez. Seattle’s manager, Dan Wilson, opted to intentionally walk Goldschmidt, a decision that backfired spectacularly. Trent Grisham then drew an unintentional walk, loading the bases with one out and bringing the fearsome Aaron Judge to the plate.
Judge lifted a fly ball to shallow center field. While it wasn’t a towering home run, it was enough. Volpe’s heads-up and athletic slide around Cal Raleigh’s tag – narrowly avoiding a laser throw from Julio Rodríguez – allowed the winning run to score.
“Volpe’s slide was the difference,” one observer noted. “An incredible play in a crucial moment.”
With the walk-off sacrifice fly, Judge secured the victory, completing one of the most remarkable comebacks in recent memory. The Yankees’ improbable win serves as a potent reminder that in baseball, and in life, the game isn’t over until the very last out.
