Yankees Deliver Impressive Comeback Against Athletics

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — It’s interesting to think back on how, in a surprising turn of events, Athletics pitcher Jacob Lopez managed to retire the Yankees’ first six batters during the game on Sunday.

But the Yankees didn’t let up there—they continued their phenomenal rally, with the next 12 hitters managing to reach base while racking up a remarkable 10 runs.

By the end of the third inning, which lasted about 43 minutes, the Yankees had sent 18 players to bat. Out of those, 15 got on base, and 13 crossed home plate. This performance was just one shy of the franchise record set back in 1920.

Over the course of facing three pitchers and enduring 75 pitches, the Yankees tallied 11 hits (none of which were home runs) and earned four walks. Anthony Volpe, Ben Rice, and Cody Bellinger all had two hits in the first inning, with Rice scoring an impressive four runs.

In what quickly turned into a dominant performance, the Yankees flipped a three-run deficit into a commanding 10-run lead, effectively draining the energy from a determined Athletics pitching staff with every successful hit, ultimately winning 13-8.

Aside from an outstanding triple, the Yankees only had one runner appear on base during the first eight innings—a walk in the sixth that was quickly erased by a double play.

This means that while the Yankees faced significant challenge early on, they seemed to have an easier go of it in the third inning.

Will Warren, who had to jog to the bullpen to warm up mid-inning due to the long break since his last appearance, managed to hold the Athletics (28-31) in check.

The right-handed pitcher delivered through the sixth inning with just three earned runs against him, helping the Yankees (36 wins, 23 losses) conclude the trip with a strong 5-1 record.

This marked the 12th consecutive occasion that the Yankees have reached base across three starts, tying a franchise record from 1949.

The rally kicked off with Phil Rizzuto walking, followed by legends like Joe DiMaggio and Yogi Berra joining in.

Interestingly enough, during the early innings on Sunday, the Yankees didn’t even manage an infield hit until two innings in and found themselves down 3-0. But then Volpe ignited the game with his single off Lopez.

Former Athletics player Max Schumann and Austin Wells followed up with walks, and Paul Goldschmidt hit a key RBI homer to narrow the gap to 3-1.

Next, Rice contributed with a two-run double that tied the game, before Aaron Judge’s single propelled the Yankees into a 4-3 lead.

The innings hadn’t reached their climax when Bellinger loaded the bases, prompting the Athletics to remove Lopez and bring in Michael Kelly, who seemed to struggle right off the bat.

Kelly promptly walked Jose Caballero on four pitches, adding to the Yankees’ score. Following a tough loss for the Yankees on Saturday night, where they scored three runs late, this was a much-needed turnaround.

Grisham then drove in a two-run single to center field and executed a double steal with Caballero, while Volpe added a second single of the inning, expanding the score to 8-3.

Schumann kept the momentum going with a two-run double, extending the lead to 10-3, although Goldschmidt struck out for the inning’s first out on a pitch that seemed outside the strike zone.

Rice narrowly missed hitting for the cycle just the night before but continued this explosive rally with a triple into the right field stands, adding two more runs to the mix.

After Judge struck out, Bellinger capped the scoring with a single, bringing the total to 13-3. Caballero followed suit with a single of his own.

The Athletics made another pitching change, with Jack Perkins finally managing to get Grisham to fly out and halt the offensive blitz. By the middle of the third inning, Perkins received a Bronx cheer from a crowd that might just have hoped for extra innings.

The Yankees came incredibly close to making history, aiming to be the first team since the Red Sox in 2009 to have 12 consecutive batters reach base at the start of an inning.

This performance also marked the 14th consecutive year that the Tigers held an MLB record dating back to 1920.

Tim Hill made a noteworthy appearance in the seventh inning for the Athletics, yielding four runs along with two home runs, which certainly made things a bit more intriguing.