​The Yankees arrived in Washington, DC, following a split with the Rays, ready to test themselves against a young, ambitious Nationals club. The Nats are loaded with talent and capable of piling up runs, yet they also cough up runs—especially in the later innings. Tonight, New York experienced both sides of the DC contrast: two skilled Nationals hitters erased a carefully built 2-1 lead in two pitches, only for the Bombers to seize momentum again in the ninth with a pair of thunderous blasts from Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Austin Wells, tipping the scales to a 5-3 Yankees victory.
After a two-hour rain delay pushed the first pitch past 8:45 p.m. ET, the Yankees kicked off their offense with a spark from Ben Rice, the All-Star who has been a catalyst since their Trop Series showdown. Rice ripped a fastball from opener Carson Palmquist just beyond the leap of left fielder Dylan Crews and into the Yankee bullpen, giving New York an early edge. If Benny Barrels can add another homer this series, he’ll reach 30 before the All-Star break—a stunning testament to the season he’s crafting.
Two more runners reached in the first on a Goldschmidt single that finally ended his 0-for-34 skid, but Palmquist nursed the jam and kept the score at 1-0. The game also featured some early intrigue from the Nationals, with Ryan Weathers on the mound providing a touch of silliness in the second inning. Two infield misplays forced him into a five-out frame, yet he managed to strand the runners without surrendering a run—a credit to his handling of the chaotic inning.
One of those misplays came from Amed Rosario, whose recent struggles have drawn attention. As the left-handed hitter facing a lefty opener with a 7.00 ERA, Rosario’s 0-for-2 effort with two strikeouts, followed by a fielding error, did him no favors and only complicated his pitcher’s task. Still, Weathers escaped the tricky moment and moved on, though Washington would begin to threaten again in the third.
In the third, the night’s turning point came with James Wood. The All-Star ripped a changeup for a 112 mph double, followed by a single that put runners on, and then a double play helped extinguish the rally. Weathers worked his way through the inning and kept the score tight, but the Bombers answered in the next frame, reclaiming the lead in emphatic fashion.
Palmquist delivered a solid start, retiring the first three innings for manager Blake Butera before turning the ball over to the veteran right-hander Zack Littell. Keibert Ruiz delivered a thoughtful throw to catch Cody Bellinger stealing in a crucial moment, and Jasson Domínguez followed with a solo blast—his fifth of the year. The ball sailed 408 feet to right-center, a long drive into one of Nationals Park’s deeper corridors.
Amed Rosario returned to the spotlight in the bottom of the fourth, continuing a recurring theme of his season and keeping the Nationals’ offense under pressure.