The Yankees pulled off a rare extra-inning victory Friday night, rallying from a 2-0 ninth-inning deficit to beat the Braves 3-2 in 10 innings.
It’s worth noting because the Yankees have been terrible in extras this season. But this was one of those nights where everything clicked when it mattered most.
Austin Riley and Matt Olson had staked Atlanta to that 2-0 lead with solo home runs. Then the Braves handed the Yankees a gift.
What should’ve been a routine infield hit by Yankees shortstop Gleyber Torres turned into a triple when Atlanta’s defense broke down. Austin Wells followed with an RBI double to cut it to 2-1.
Ben Rice came through with the tying hit, a liner off the right-field wall that brought Wells home.
The Yankees’ trade deadline pickup Luis García Jr. made the defensive play of the night in extras, robbing Ronald Acuña Jr. with an over-the-shoulder catch that saved the game.
In the bottom of the 10th, the Yankees pushed across the winning run on a sacrifice fly.
AL East Implications
The timing couldn’t have been better for New York. Earlier Friday, the Red Sox crushed the Athletics 13-1 to temporarily move into second place in the AL East, just a half-game behind the Rays.
But the Yankees reclaimed that second spot with their comeback win.
Here’s what makes this interesting: Boston is 32-5 over their last 37 games. That’s an incredible run that’s put real pressure on the Yankees, who’ve fallen from first place to fighting just to stay in second.
The way things have been trending, the Yankees needed a win like this. They’ve been struggling while the Red Sox have been on fire, and momentum matters as we head into the final stretch.
Both teams play again Saturday, so we’ll see if Boston can bounce back and keep applying pressure. The Red Sox have shown they’re not going away quietly.
