Time after time Wednesday night, the Yankees avoided defeat.
They were shutout by the Tampa Bay Rays for seven innings, only to rally in the eighth. They overcame a blown save by Devin Williams, a baserunning blunder by Austin Wells and deficits in the ninth and 10th innings.
But the Yankees would not be denied.
Ryan McMahon’s walk-off RBI single in the 11th capped a roller-coaster 5-4 win by the Yankees in the Bronx.
The game-winner followed a balk by Rays reliever Kevin Kelly that moved automatic runner Jazz Chisholm Jr. into scoring position.
The Yankees trailed, 1-0, going into the bottom of the eighth, but Trent Grisham’s leadoff home run against Rays right-hander Bryan Baker tied the game. That was the first of four consecutive hits by the Yankees, who took a 2-1 lead on Giancarlo Stanton’s RBI single.
That remained the score in the top of the ninth, until Williams surrendered a two-run home run to Josh Lowe that put Tampa Bay up, 3-2. It was the second blown save of the season for Williams, who had converted 13 consecutive opportunities since April 25.
The Yankees tied the game in the bottom of the ninth when Anthony Volpe drilled a one-out solo home run against Pete Fairbanks, and Wells followed with a soft single.
Chaos ensued from there.
Grisham laid down a bunt attempt, but after he was retired for the second out, Wells began jogging off the field as if the inning were over.
Wells was then caught in a 5-3-6-3 rundown, extinguishing the scoring threat and sending the game into extra innings.
In the 10th, Jonathan Aranda’s one-out, bases-loaded sacrifice fly against Luke Weaver gave the Rays a 4-3 lead, but it could have been much worse for the Yankees had left fielder Jasson Dominguez not made a highlight-worthy leaping catch at the wall.
Cody Bellinger tied the game yet again in the bottom of the 10th with a one-out RBI triple, but he was stranded at third when Edwin Uceta struck out Stanton and got Chisholm to ground out.
Tim Hill hurled a scoreless 11th to set up McMahon’s walk-off, which came on a deep drive to center field.
All of that followed a strong start by rookie Yankees right-hander Will Warren.
Warren limited the Rays to one run over six innings. Warren worked around six hits and a walk while striking out four and matched his career high with 102 pitches. He lowered his ERA to 4.64.
Rays starter Zach Littell, meanwhile, held the Yankees scoreless over five innings, despite issuing four walks.
With the win, the second-place Yankees remained four games behind the American East-leading Toronto Blue Jays and a game ahead of the Boston Red Sox for the AL’s top wild card spot.
The roller-coaster finish came on the eve of the MLB trade deadline.
The Yankees have been active in the last week, adding McMahon and righty-swinging bench pieces Amed Rosario and Austin Slater in trades. But the Yankees were yet to add a starting pitcher or reliever by the time Wednesday’s game ended.
Earlier this month, general manager Brian Cashman cited a desire to add a starter and “some relievers” to a pitching staff that lost ace Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt to season-ending elbow surgeries and that has endured its share of bullpen injuries as well.
Right-handed starter Luis Gil is expected to make his season debut on Sunday in Miami after working his way back from a high-grade lat strain that cropped up during spring training.
The Yankees have one more game before Thursday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline.
Marcus Stroman (2-2, 6.09 ERA) is set to start Thursday’s series finale, while Ryan Pepiot (6-8, 3.42 ERA) is scheduled to pitch for Tampa Bay.
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