Yankees rally for comeback win over Pirates after reliever scare

Publish date: 2024-07-18

Explore More

PITTSBURGH — It wasn’t always pretty, but the Yankees came out of Friday with another win.

Three innings after a frightening scene involving a teammate, they clawed their way back to victory with an assist from the Pirates’ defense.

Entering the ninth inning Friday night trailing by two runs, the Yankees mounted a four-run rally to pull off a 7-5 win at PNC Park.

The late comeback, during which the Pirates messed up a potential game-ending double play, came after Yankees reliever Anthony Misiewicz was drilled in the head by a 100.6 mph line drive in the sixth inning.

As the Yankees (75-73) kept Misiewicz in their thoughts — he was alert and later transported to a local hospital for further testing — they made the most of a second chance in the ninth inning for their 13th win in their last 18 games.

Yankees relief pitcher Anthony Misiewicz reacts after being hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Ji Hwan Bae. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

After the Yankees pulled within 5-4 on with one out in the ninth on Estevan Florial’s bases-loaded walk against former Mets reliever Colin Holderman, Anthony Volpe came up and hit a hard grounder to shortstop.

It should have been a double play, but second baseman Ji Hwan Bae’s throw to first skipped past first baseman Alfonso Rivas, allowing Volpe to reach safely and bringing in two runs.

Oswald Peraza then singled and Oswaldo Cabrera followed with an RBI single to pad the Yankees’ lead.

“We just didn’t give up,” said Gerrit Cole, who labored through five innings on 93 pitches, but limited the damage to just two runs. “We took what the game gave us, and luckily, we were able to execute — albeit with some second chances — to get the win.”

Aaron Judge hits an RBI single in the sixth inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Getty Images

Former Pirate Clay Holmes slammed the door shut in the bottom of the ninth for the Yankees.

Cole, in his first time back on the mound at PNC Park since he last pitched for the Pirates in 2017, tied a season-high with three walks, all of them in the first inning.

Instead of the game going off the rails, though, Cole escaped two rocky innings with only a 2-1 deficit as he stranded five runners.

“He made a lot of really big pitches,” manager Aaron Boone said. “That game easily could have gotten away. From the first inning, you just watch him and he didn’t get sped up. He didn’t break. It wasn’t perfect, but it’s what he’s done all year really well — when it hasn’t been perfect or he hasn’t just been mowing them down, situations haven’t snowballed on him.”

Ji Hwan Bae high-fives Endy Rodriguez after coming around to score on a sacrifice fly ball by Jack Suwinski in the first inning. Getty Images
Gerrit Cole delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

DJ LeMahieu and Aaron Judge hit back-to-back RBI singles in the sixth inning to put the Yankees up 3-2.

Then in the bottom of the inning, Bae’s line drive ricocheted off Misiewicz’s head and landed in right field to drive in a run and tie the score.

The Pirates took a 5-3 lead before the inning ended, with a two-run single by Ke’Bryan Hayes rolling underneath the glove of Gleyber Torres.

But LeMahieu and Judge got the ninth-inning rally started with singles, Torres followed by walking and the Yankees were on their way to another win.

ncG1vNJzZmimqaW8tMCNnKamZ2Jlf3R7j3Jmam1frq6vt8SeqmaqkaG5unnFqKlmm5%2BisqOtwqRksKGeYry3sdFmp6KqkamytHnAn6ueql2nsq21xK%2Bcq2WjmK6zsY4%3D