When you think about thrilling baseball games, this recent Yankees-Mariner matchup is one for the books. The Yankees dug deep to pull out a dramatic 6-5 extra-innings win over the Seattle Mariners, packed with more plot twists than a summer blockbuster. The key was a savvy baseball tactic – recognizing pitch tipping from Seattle’s acclaimed closer.
The Mariners were in control early on, thanks largely to a stellar performance from their starting pitcher, Bryan Woo. Woo was lights out, holding the Yankees hitless into the eighth inning with a comfortable 5-0 lead. But as anyone familiar with baseball knows, a game can turn on a dime.
The Yankees began to chip away at the deficit, catching up to a 5-3 score by the bottom of the ninth. Enter Seattle’s closer, Andrés Muñoz. His recent stats had been impeccable, with a run of nine shutout appearances and only two hits allowed. But something was different this time around.
Muñoz’s slider, often an unhittable weapon, had a tell. The Yankees, quick on the uptake, noticed he was tipping his pitches. The clever bailout strategy unfolded when Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger both made it on base through singles. The Yankees exploited the tip, using discreet signals to relay the pitch type, and executed their plan with precision.
Grisham, now on second, was signaling like a seasoned base coach. Ben Rice worked a walk off a slider that missed. Then, Austin Wells delivered a clutch single off a fastball, tying the game at 5-5 in dramatic fashion.
From the Mariners’ dugout, catcher Cal Raleigh was on high alert, realizing Muñoz’s pitching was an open book to the Yankees. “He was tipping it every time at second base,” Raleigh noted, highlighting the cat-and-mouse nature of baseball. Despite his attempts to subtly alert Muñoz from behind the plate, protecting his focus was paramount in such high-stakes moments.
By the time the dust settled in the ninth, the Yankees had unwound Muñoz’s nearly impenetrable season stats, racking up three hits, a walk, and two runs against him. Mariners manager Dan Wilson offered a different angle, chalking it up to the Yankees capitalizing on tough counts, while feeling confident in Muñoz’s overall prowess.
Muñoz, typically a force with an MLB-leading .128 batting average against, saw that dominance unravel as the Yankees executed their plan to perfection.
Austin Wells was effusive about his team’s effort, crediting the confidence imbued by earlier at-bats, which set the stage for his game-tying hit. It was baseball’s chess in action — reading the board, and making the right moves when it counted most.
In an exhilarating extra frame, the Yankees sealed the deal with a sac fly from Aaron Judge, bringing home Anthony Volpe. Volpe’s acrobatics at home plate, evading Cal Raleigh’s tag with a slick swim move, was the icing on the cake.
This game was significant, marking the Yankees’ first comeback of this scale since 2023, and placing them in rare company alongside the 1977 Pittsburgh Pirates as teams who’ve clawed back to win after trailing by at least five without a hit into the later innings.
Austin Wells summed it up perfectly: “That was a lot of fun. Probably one of the better wins we’ve had.” Indeed, this Yankees squad reminded everyone why baseball is often described as a game of inches and insights.
