NEW YORK – It had all the makings of another frustrating showing for a scuffling Yankees lineup, silenced through eight innings and looking little like the offensive juggernaut it was once forecast to be. Punchless all evening and down to their final outs, the Yankees flipped the script just in time.
Austin Wells and Ben Rice delivered big hits as part of an improbable ninth-inning rally, helping to set up Ryan McMahon’s deep sacrifice fly that sealed a 3-2, 10-inning victory over the Braves on Friday evening at Yankee Stadium.
It was just the Yankees’ second win in 10 extra-inning games this season, snapping Atlanta’s eight-game winning streak.
In the ninth, Raisel Iglesias threw away George Lombard Jr.’s one-out hit, giving the Yanks their first runner to touch third base all night. After Amed Rosario worked an eight-pitch walk, Rice snapped an 0-for-17 skid with his first hit of August: a game-tying single that pelted the right-field wall.
First baseman Luis García Jr. made a fantastic play to end the top of the 10th inning, saving a run by snaring Ronald Acuña Jr.’s pop-up in shallow right field.
Facing his former club for the first time, Max Fried showed some familiar faces that he has hardly missed a beat, striking out seven over 6 1/3 scoreless innings. Atlanta’s damage came against the bullpen: Austin Riley and Matt Olson cracked solo homers off relievers Fernando Cruz and Tim Hill, respectively.
Atlanta believed it had nicked Fried for a first-inning run, as Mauricio Dubón singled to center field, seemingly chasing Drake Baldwin home from second base. Trent Grisham fired to third base, nabbing a sliding Ozzie Albies to end the inning. A review showed Baldwin hadn’t touched home plate before the tag was applied on Albies, taking the run off the board.
From there, the Braves managed little more against Fried, who allowed three hits with a pair of walks in a 90-pitch effort (57 strikes), striking out seven. Fried’s evening was slightly truncated as he builds stamina following a stint on the injured list with a left elbow bone bruise; Friday was his fourth start since being reinstated, having tossed 78 pitches last time out.
