​The Yankees escaped Saturday afternoon with a 4-2 victory over the Nationals, despite a sluggish start that had fans worried they were going to fall behind early. The offense finally came alive in the late innings, highlighted by three decisive home runs that carried them to the win and extended their current winning streak to three games.
As in the opener, New York leaned on the long ball to drive in runs. The scoring began when Ryan McMahon, who entered as a pinch-hitter for Amed Rosario, belted a 416-foot homer to put the Yankees on the board in the eighth inning. Just two batters later, Trent Grisham followed with a two-run shot, jolting the momentum in the visitors’ direction and giving New York its first lead of the afternoon.
With the game still up in the air, Paul Goldschmidt added a final flourish, going back-to-back with Grisham to cap off the comeback and seal the win for the Yankees. The late-inning power surge kept the Yankees’ streak alive, matching the earlier performance and delivering another important victory on the road.
On the mound, Cam Schlitter had a rocky start that put the Yankees in a 2-0 hole early. The rookie faced trouble from the top, as James Wood crushed Schlittler’s first pitch for a homer, followed by Curtis Mead launching another fastball up in the zone for a second solo shot. Schlittler’s day grew more demanding as he walked four batters, repeatedly forcing himself to pitch out of trouble. Despite the rough beginning, he settled in and completed 6.2 innings, leaving after recording two outs in the seventh. He allowed two runs on four hits, issued four walks, and struck out six, a performance that showed resilience even amid early misfires.
The bullpen then faced its own hurdles. Brent Headrick came in with two outs in the seventh to relieve Schlittler and promptly allowed a pair of singles and a walk to load the bases. Headrick escaped the jam by striking out CJ Abrams, preserving the two-run deficit and buying crucial innings for the Yankees’ late rally.
Offensively, the Yankees continued to struggle with runners in scoring position (RISP) for the second consecutive game. After going 0-for-5 in such situations on Friday, the team went 0-for-8 with RISP on Saturday, leaving seven men on base. Despite the lingering issues, the late homer by Grisham and McMahon’s earlier shot proved sufficient to overcome the National’s early lead.
David Bednar closed out the game with the save, delivering a clean ninth inning after allowing a single base runner the night before. Bednar’s two-inning workload on Friday gave him the chance to lock down the finish on Saturday, favoring the Yankees’ efforts to protect their late lead.
Ben Rice continued his hot streak, reaching base in both of his plate appearances by going 2-for-2 with two walks. His on-base presence helped keep the rally alive in key moments and added valuable depth to the Yankees’ late-game push.
Grisham’s decisive blast, followed by McMahon’s timely shot, gave the Yankees the lead they needed and the state of the game, ensuring they held on for the win. The comeback was fueled by timely hitting and steady pitching, even though the early innings were blemished by missed opportunities and a rough start.
Looking ahead, the Yankees wrap up their series with the Nationals on Sunday afternoon, with first pitch scheduled for 1:35 p.m. Will Warren (7-4, 4.15 ERA) will take the mound for New York, while the Nationals have yet to announce a starter. The series finale will offer another chance for the Yankees to build on their momentum and extend their winning ways against a National team that will be looking to salvage the final game of the set. This matchup shapes up as a critical test of New York’s resilience and depth, with the offense hoping to improve runners-in-scoring-position performance and continue capitalizing on late-inning opportunities.