Yankees achieve another comeback by hitting three homers to defeat Nationals

Yankees Rally Late Against Nationals

WASHINGTON — For most of Saturday’s game, the Yankees’ offense was pretty quiet, not making much of an impression. Yet, everything changed in the eighth inning. After claiming three wins against the Rays on Thursday and squeezing out another late victory against the Nationals on Friday, the team seemed to have found its rhythm.

In a dramatic turn, Ryan McMahon, Trent Grisham, and Paul Goldschmidt all connected for home runs in the eighth, overcoming a two-run deficit to secure a 4-2 victory at a steamy Nationals Park.

The Yankees, staying in this competitive groove, are keen to leverage the Nationals’ struggling bullpen—this marked their 27th career save—and fully shake off any recent woes. They’re looking to close out the first half of the season on a high note, with a chance to complete a sweep on Sunday.

Cam Schlitler had a tough outing but managed to pitch 6 2/3 innings, allowing just two runs—both solo homers in the first inning—giving the Yankees a fighting chance.

Despite entering the eighth inning down 2-0, the Yankees staged a comeback. One out in, McMahon, who had a game-changing double on Thursday, launched a solo homer off Orlando Rivalta, narrowing the gap to 2-1 and igniting a spark in the team.

Shortly after, Ben Rice walked, marking his fourth time on base. The Nationals responded by bringing in former Yankees prospect Clayton Beater.

Grisham then hit a two-run blast that soared into the right field upper deck, consolidating a 3-2 lead for the Yankees. Goldschmidt, who struggled massively the night before, contributed with a subsequent homer to the left field, adding an insurance run.

This win was significant for McMahon, who notched his first home run since late June, Grisham with his first since early July, and Goldschmidt snapping out of a slump with his first since June 24.

Fernando Cruz breezed through the bottom of the eighth with only seven pitches. David Bednar took charge for two innings to wrap up the previous night’s victory while securing the ninth without allowing a run.

In contrast, Schlitler faced a rough start, giving up a homer on his very first pitch and later allowing two more long balls. Despite that, he only let in those runs, and by the time he finished, he showcased a season-high striking ability, although he did issue four walks.

As the game progressed, the Yankees had numerous chances to push ahead. In the first inning against left-handed starter PJ Poulin, they couldn’t capitalize with no outs and runners on first and second. Later, in the sixth inning, they managed back-to-back singles with Miles Mikolas pitching but still failed to score.