The loudest cheer at Yankee Stadium might have been for the Knicks, but Devin Williams and J.C. Eskara made their own noise during a crucial Yankees game.
After a tense 10th inning where Williams put three runners on base, Eskara came through with a walk-off sacrifice fly, securing a 4-3 win against the Padres on Wednesday.
This victory could be viewed as one of the Yankees’ best series wins this season. They fought back with an impressive game-tying home run from Cody Bellinger in the seventh, breaking up Dylan Case’s no-hitter, followed by Trent Grisham’s two-run homer in the eighth.
Williams, who had faltered in Monday’s game, showed resilience in the 10th inning. He faced challenging moments, loading the bases with two outs but ultimately striking out Xander Bogaerts, celebrating visibly as he left the mound.
Before the decisive plays, Oswald Cabrera executed a successful sacrifice bunt, setting the stage for Eskara, who then made a pinch hit for Oswald Peraza, and delivered the key fly ball to left field.
Just minutes after Bellinger’s dramatic equalizer, the Padres took a brief lead in the eighth, amidst a crowd of 42,302 who were also engaged with a Knicks playoff game on their phones, creating a unique atmosphere.
Ian Hamilton was on the mound to start the eighth but was replaced by Luke Weaver after a series of outs. A single from Meryl came off Weaver’s pitching.
In response, Grisham stepped up again, hitting another home run in the eighth, following Cabrera’s walk, tying the game at 3-3.
The Yankees have been accustomed to mixed outcomes on nights when Max Fried pitches, which added a layer of tension to this matchup.
Bellinger, however, changed that trajectory in the seventh, smashing a powerful solo home run that disrupted the no-hitter and really electrified the crowd.
It was a bittersweet moment, though, as Dominguez had to leave the game due to an injury soon after. Fried, showing remarkable skill, had a solid outing, allowing just one run in seven innings.
He had been on a roll, with his ERA now resting at a strong 1.05 after this eighth start, despite allowing his first run since mid-April when Merrill hit a sweeping pitch into the Yankees’ bullpen.
Dylan Case, although he didn’t allow any runs during 6 1/3 innings, saw his no-hit bid slip away with Bellinger’s home run, ending an impressive streak.
