​The Yankees clung to a late lead only for their bullpen to falter, but Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s go-ahead home run in the ninth inning propelled New York to a 5-3 victory over the Nationals on Friday night in Washington, D.C. Both clubs entered the night as the top two teams in Major League Baseball in home runs, and after a weather delay of roughly two hours that postponed the start of the series opener, both offenses lived up to their reputation by delivering big blasts.
Early in the game, two early Yankee home runs were erased when Tim Hill surrendered back-to-back shots to Keibert Ruiz and James Wood, giving the Nationals the lead. Chisholm, coming through in the clutch, answered with a two-run homer off left-hander Matt Krook, reclaiming the advantage for New York and providing the kind of moment that would be hard to replicate in a tighter contest.
Ben Rice opened the scoring for the Yankees with his 29th home run of the season, staking the visitors to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. The blast capped a stretch in which Rice had homered seven times in his previous 10 games, narrowing the gap to just one behind Yordan Álvarez for the American League home run lead, as Álvarez also homered on Friday. In the fourth, Jasson Domínguez continued the surge for New York by pushing the lead back into the Yankees’ favor with a long ball of his own.
On the mound, Ryan Weathers delivered a solid start for most of the night. The left-hander held the Nationals to one run through five innings, but trouble arrived in the sixth. After CJ Abrams led off with a double, Jacob Young singled, yet a miscue by the Nationals’ shortstop—who slipped as he attempted to tag up—prevented a potential tying run from scoring. That misplay forced Weathers from the game, as Fernando Cruz entered in relief to escape the jam. Cruz got Daylen Lile to strike out on a pinch-hitter, and then Jorbit Vivas, who also batted for a pinch-hitter, to swing and miss for the final out of the inning, preserving the lead for New York. Weathers left having allowed one run on six hits with six strikeouts.
The Nationals mounted a late comeback attempt in the eighth, but could not muster the big hit when it counted. After Trent Grisham lined into an infield single with two outs, he advanced to second on a wild pitch with Paul Goldschmidt at the plate. The veteran right-hander ultimately struck out to end the threat, leaving the Yankees 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and eight men left on base for the night.
David Bednar was flawless in relief for the Nationals, permitting only a single baserunner via hit by pitch and then retiring the final six outs without incident. For New York, Amed Rosario had a rough defensive evening at third base, committing two errors—one on a throw and another on a fielding play—which forced Weathers to work around additional situations that could have opened up more innings. Despite the miscues, Rosario’s misplays did not produce runs against the Yankees, though manager Aaron Boone chose to pinch-hit Ryan McMahon for Rosario in the fifth inning. Rosario finished 0-for-2 with two strikeouts.
On offense, Goldschmidt reached base multiple times, snapping a career-worst 0-for-34 skid with a first-inning single, and finishing the night 2-for-5. The pivotal moment in the game arrived when Chisholm connected for the go-ahead homer in the ninth off Krook, a swing that shifted the momentum decisively in favor of New York.
With this win, the Yankees move on to face the Nationals again on Saturday, with first pitch scheduled for 4:05 p.m. The expected pitching matchup features Yankees right-hander Cam Schli in a bid to continue New York’s home-run-heavy momentum and keep the pressure on Washington as the series progresses. The dramatic finish underscored the power that both teams bring to the ballpark, even as late-inning defense and bullpen performances reframed what could have been a disappointing defeat for the Yankees.