The New York Yankees continued to struggle offensively, falling 5-3 to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 10 innings in the first game of a doubleheader. Despite a game-tying three-run homer from Ben Rice in the seventh inning, the Yankees' offense managed only one swing for runs and finished 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
The Yankees, now 56-45 on the season, scored eight runs in their previous game but saw that momentum disappear. Over their last 29 games, the team has scored more than five runs just twice. The offense was largely shut down by the Pirates' defense, managing only six hits in Wednesday's matinee.
Starter Gerrit Cole showed flashes of his dominant form, striking out a season-best 11 batters and recording 21 swings and misses. He pitched perfect through the first 14 batters, but allowed a two-run home run in the fifth inning and another in the seventh. Cole finished the game having allowed two home runs and three earned runs over seven innings.
A contentious moment occurred in the sixth inning when shortstop Jose Caballero was called for a pitch-timer violation. His subsequent argument with home-plate umpire Quinn Wolcott led to hitting coach James Rowson's ejection from the dugout. Caballero struck out on the following pitch.
The Yankees' lone offensive outburst came in the seventh when Rice connected on a three-run blast to left-center field, erasing a 3-0 deficit and tying the game. However, this proved to be the team's only scoring play.
In the 10th inning, the Pirates rallied against reliever Fernando Cruz, with Jared Triolo and Jake Mangum providing run-scoring hits to take a 5-3 lead. The Yankees' lineup of Cody Bellinger, Jasson Domínguez, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. failed to produce in the bottom of the inning, with all three making outs to end the game.
The Yankees' offense has been hampered by the absence of key players like Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. Prior to Rice's homer, the team had been 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position in the game. Earlier innings also saw missed opportunities, including loading the bases with no outs in the fourth and having back-to-back singles with one out in the fifth, both without further scoring.