Bronx Battle: Yankees out duel the Rays in extras behind Warren’s gem, McMahon’s Walk-Off

New York—The Yankees took down the Rays 5-4 in a crazy back-and-forth game to improve to 10 games over .500 now 59-49. Will Warren got the starting nod for the Yankees and faced off against Zack Littell, which ended up being his last start for the Rays, as he was traded to the Reds right after the game. 

In the top of the first inning, Warren worked around a two-out single to put together a scoreless inning. 

Trent Grisham, Ben Rice, and Cody Bellinger went down in order for the Yankees in the bottom of the first inning. 

Warren served up a two-out RBI double to Bradnon Lowe to give the Rays a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning. 

Ryan McMahon led off the bottom of the third inning with a double into the right field corner. Grisham worked a two-out walk, followed by an 11-pitch walk from Rice to load the bases. However, Belli grounded out to strand the bases loaded. 

Austin Wells executed a perfect strike 'em out, throw 'em out to help Warren work a scoreless top of the fourth inning. 

With one out in the bottom of the fourth inning, Jazz Chisholm Jr. lined a single to right field. Jazz then stole his first base since June 10 to move into scoring position. Jazz then stole third base as well. But Jazz was stranded at third base. 

In the top of the fifth inning, Warren worked around a two-out single and picked up his third strikeout of the ballgame to put together a scoreless frame. 

Warren worked an easy 1-2-3 top of the sixth inning and picked up his fourth punchout of the ballgame. 

Giancarlo Stanton, Jazz, and Jasson Dominguez went down in order for the Yankees in the bottom of the sixth inning. 

Brent Headrick took over for Warren on the mound in the top of the seventh inning and struck out the Rays in order.

Will Warren's final line: six innings pitched, six hits allowed, one earned run, one walk, four swings and misses, and four strikeouts on 102 pitches. Warren threw his fastball 41% of the time, the sinker 25%, the sweeper 19%, the changeup 8%, and the curveball 7% of the time. Warren was great tonight, giving the Yankees a nice quality start as his ERA in the Bronx this season in 12 starts is now 2.88. But unfortunately, the offense gave him zero run support tonight. 

“Yeah, I think it was a solid game," Warren said. "Attacked early, let the guys play behind me, especially with this team, the Rays, you know, I feel like they make stuff happen by just, you know, grinding at bats out. And so, yeah, I think it was good overall. I'm just, you know, happy. I kept us in the game long enough for us to win." 

Headrick remained in the game for the top of the eighth inning and gave up a lead-off single, as well as picked up the first out of the inning. Yerry De los Santos then replaced Headrick on the bump. Wells threw out his second base runner of the night, then it looked like the Yankees were out of the inning, but Anthony Volpes ' MLB-leading 16th error of the season allowed a man to reach. Thankful, no harm, no foul as De Los Santos recorded a strikeout to end the inning.

Grisham led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a solo home run into the second deck in right field, a new career high 18th home run of the season, to tie the game up at 1-1. Rice followed that up with a single down the right field line. Belli then lined a single up the middle, and Oswald Peraza, who pinch ran for Rice, was running on the pitch as the Yankees executed a perfect hit and run to put runners at the corners with nobody out. Stanton gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead thanks to a sawed-off RBI single over the drawn-in infield. 

The Yankees turned to their closer Devin Williams in the top of the ninth inning and instantly walked the first batter, then gave the lead right back to the Rays as he served up a heartbreaking two-run home run to Josh Lowe to give the Rays a 3-2 lead. 

In the Bottom of the ninth, the Yankees quickly responded thanks to a solo home run from Anthony Volpe to tie the game up at 3-3. Wells then dunked in a bloop single to center, and Grisham laid down a perfect sac bunt, but one of the most boneheaded plays you will ever see on a baseball field, as Wells was doubled up after forgetting how many outs there were in the NINTH INNING! 

"I just thought there were three outs,” Wells said. “Very embarrassed and disappointed, for sure. You let the guys down when you do that, you give away an out like that in a big spot. ... I think I was just being an idiot."

Luke Weaver took over for Williams in the top of the 10th inning and walked a batter and gave up a single to load the bases with one out. Jasson Dominguez then made a great play in left field to rob Jonathan Aranda of extra bases, but it was a sacrifice fly to give the Rays a 4-3 lead. 

"I mean, that was a tough fly ball," Dominguez said. "But I mean like I said before, I've been working with my coach, like Rojas, almost every day, you know, trying to get better. We work on those plays, we work on the play at the walls... everything. And that helped me the most." 

Belli tied the game up at 4-4 with an RBI triple in the bottom of the 10th inning. With the winning run on third base and one out, Stanton struck out, and Jazz grounded out to strand the winning run at third. 

Tim Hill took over for Weaver in the top of the 11th inning and retired the Rays in order to keep this game all tied up. 

In the bottom of the 11th, Dominguez was intentionally walked to lead off the inning, then a balk was called, allowing both runners to move into scoring position. The next batter, McMahon, one of the newest Yankees, hit a walkoff RBI single over the center fielders head to give the Yankees a 5-4 win. 

"Yeah, big back-and-forth game," McMahon said. "A lot of really clutch at-bats late, man. I can't overstate how clutch Belli was down that stretch, man, Trent with the big hummer for us. So there were a lot of good things done by our guys. And then I just was the one that came through at the end."

The Yankees will look to win the series tomorrow with Marcus Stroman on the mound, facing off against Ryan Pepiot for the Rays. The first pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET on the YES Network. 

My thoughts on the game: Well, if last night took 10 years off my life, tonight took 20 years off my life. I was already really annoyed before tonight's game even started, as Ryan Helsley, the reliever I wanted the Yankees to acquire the most, was traded to the cross-town rival Mets. The Yankees need to trade for David Bednar, Danny Coulombe, or any bullpen help before the trade deadline tomorrow at 6 p.m. The Yankees also traded for outfielder Austin Slater earlier today. Read more about that deal here.  The fact that Hill is the reliever I trust the most right now is a big problem. Now for the game, Warren was fantastic, putting together an excellent start as he continues his dominance at home in the Bronx. The offense did nothing for the first seven innings tonight, but Grisham got things going with a solo home run. Stanton also had a big RBI single to give the Yankees the lead. Then, after Williams blew it in the ninth, I thought this game was all but over; however, Volpe responded with a solo home run. Belli had a huge RBI triple in the 10th as the Yankees should be trying to negotiate an extension with him ASAP. And the newest Yankees McMahon was the hero, walking it off in the 11th. The bullpen tonight, besides Williams, was great. Headrick impressed me again with four huge outs. De Los Santos also picked up two big outs in the eighth. Weaver, who has been shaky since returning from the IL, was a little shaky again tonight but did a good job, only allowing the Manfred runner to score. And Hil pitched a nice inning in the 11th as he is just the gift that keeps on giving. Tomorrow, the Yankees will look to win the series, with the trade deadline looming. Sorry for how long this recap got; a lot happened tonight.