The Yankees were inches away from pulling off a three-game sweep against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday afternoon, but they couldn’t quite land the knockout punch. Despite a thrilling rally in the ninth inning, the Bombers fell 5–4 in 11 innings, leaving a few runs and opportunities on the table.
Ninth-Inning Comeback Sparks Hope
Down 4–1 heading into the ninth, the Yankees pieced together one of those late-inning charges that make you think, “they’re really going to do it again.”
Oswald Peraza, who had a rollercoaster afternoon with three strikeouts but also an RBI double, lasered a shot into left field to drive in Anthony Volpe. Jasson Dominguez, who had reached earlier, flew around to third base.
Trent Grisham, quietly turning into one of the Yankees’ most valuable depth pieces, continued his hot stretch with a single to right field, scoring both Peraza and Dominguez to tie the game at four apiece.
That moment felt like it could be the turning point. But extra innings can be a coin flip, and this time, it landed on Pittsburgh’s side.
Devin Williams Gets Clipped in the 11th
The Yankees handed the ball to closer Devin Williams in the 11th, hoping he could shut things down and give the offense one more shot. Instead, he ran into trouble after a nine-pitch battle with Tommy Pham ended in heartbreak—a walk-off single that ended the game and handed the Bombers their fourth loss of the year.
It was a grind for Williams, who’s still settling into his new role with the Yankees after a rocky start to the season. His elite stuff is undeniable, but these types of outings underscore the challenge of nailing down tight games when every pitch matters.
Offense Sputters for Much of the Day
Outside of the ninth-inning surge, the Yankees’ bats weren’t quite in sync. They struck out 13 times and drew just three walks, while posting eight hits. It was one of those games where big swings and misses defined the day.
Jazz Chisholm struck out three times, but he did manage an RBI single. Peraza mirrored that line. Even Aaron Judge and Austin Wells, who’ve been red-hot to start the year, each went down on strikes twice.
For Judge, it marked his first quiet game in over a week—and a reminder that even superheroes have off days.
Will Warren Struggles to Find Rhythm
On the mound, rookie right-hander Will Warren didn’t have his best stuff. He lasted only four innings, giving up six hits and four earned runs. His command faded late in counts and his velocity dipped noticeably as the outing wore on.
Warren now owns a 6.00 ERA through his first two starts, and while the stuff is there, the consistency isn’t—at least not yet. With Clarke Schmidt ramping up and possibly returning this week, the Yankees may choose to send Warren back to Triple-A for more seasoning and a chance to regain confidence.
Looking Ahead
The Yankees will travel to Detroit on Monday to open a new series against the Tigers. First pitch has been moved up to 3:10 PM due to forecasted bad weather. The early start times will continue throughout the series at 1:10 PM to try and dodge the storm clouds rolling in.
New week, new series, and a chance for the Yankees to bounce right back.