SAN DIEGO — A Local Boy’s Moment Cut Short
Spencer Jones had a shining moment for the Yankees, but it ultimately didn’t lead to a victory. After he opened the 10th inning with a single against the Padres’ pitcher, Mason Miller, the excitement quickly faded.
Luis Campusano delivered a dramatic two-run walk-off home run off Paul Blackburn, leading the Padres to a 3-2 win in an electric atmosphere at Petco Park, which was filled to capacity on Friday night.
Before this game, Blackburn had pitched 13 ¹/₃ scoreless innings and hadn’t allowed a home run since late July. However, after striking out his first opponent, he faltered at a critical moment, serving up a sinker right down the middle to Campusano, who hit it out to left field, sealing the game.
“It definitely hurts,” said manager Aaron Boone. “I trust Paul completely. It seemed like he might have wanted that sinker to be a bit more inside, but Campusano also made a fantastic swing. It’s just how it goes. We have a quick turnaround and need to bounce back [Saturday].”
Jones, who is from Encinitas and grew up watching games at this very park, expressed his thrill at contributing. “I was super excited to connect off a great pitcher and give my team a lead,” he remarked. Yet, his excitement was short-lived as the game concluded swiftly after.
In a challenging night, the Yankees (now 80-61) also faced the loss of Trent Grisham due to a hamstring injury, which could see him going back to the IL. As the standings change, the Yankees now trail the Rays by four games with only 21 games left, while the Red Sox are closing the gap, sitting just 3 ¹/₂ games behind for the top AL wild card.
Max Fried made a solid return in his second start after recovering from a left elbow bone bruise, throwing 72 pitches over 5 ²/₃ innings and giving up just one run. He noted, “I feel like I’m getting better each time. My focus is on winning; it’s crucial to keep the zeroes on the board.”
Accompanying Fried, Will Warren provided efficient relief, signaling what might be his role in the playoffs. He managed 2 ¹/₃ scoreless innings with only one baserunner allowed before passing the ball to David Bednar for the ninth inning.
The Padres bullpen, after Walker Buehler’s outing, responded strongly, featuring arms like Adrian Morejon and Miller—both of whom were linked to the Yankees before the trade deadline but stayed with San Diego.
Morejon dominated the eighth, striking out three batters, while Miller followed suit in the ninth, recording two strikeouts and clocking a pitch at 102 mph against Cody Bellinger, who clearly was hindered after fouling a ball off his foot earlier in the game.
Boone commented, “Those two hitters are tough. But it was great to see Spencer get us on the board in the 10th, even if it ended rough.”
The Padres (74-67) almost clinched the game in the ninth, advancing the winning run to third base with a double and a passed ball. Yet, Bednar managed to strike out Austin Hays, forcing extras.
The Yankees initially fell behind when Xander Bogaerts hit a bloop single that Grisham may have caught if fit. However, Ben Rice evened the score in the third with an impressive 444-foot home run, his 36th of the season, making it the second-longest of his career.
