Luck, Speed, & Jose Caballero: Yanks Walk It Off. NY 5 LA Angels 4

April 16, 2026 paperbacklou 2026 0
Austin Wells scores -- safe by a foot -- for the walkoff win on Jose Caballero's 2-run single in 9th -- as Jazz Chisholm Jr. (who scored in front of him) cheers him on.

There was gloom in the air with the Yanks trailing 4-3 and 1 out, nobody on in the 9th on a warm Wednesday night in the Bronx — the Yanks staring at their 6th loss in 7 games — a game they once led 3-0.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. popped up to shortstop for the 2nd out, but 3rd baseman Oswald Peraza and shortstop Zach Neto got mixed up and let it accidentally drop.

Jazz promptly stole 2nd base, and Austin Wells worked a walk to give the Yanks life. The two were in the process of a double steal when Jose Caballero ripped a single to the gap in left center — Jazz scoring easily to tie the game and Wells racing like a madman around the bases to slide in safe by a hair in a walkoff Yankee win!

The Angels challenged the call but lost the challenge; Wells was in by a foot. Jordan Romano took the loss.

The game featured another HR duel between all-time greats Aaron Judge and Mike Trout.

The Yanks had jumped out to an early 3-0 on an Aaron Judge HR in the 1st and 2-RBI single by Trent Grisham in the 2nd. But Luis Gil allowed some homerun balls — to Adam Frazer in the 3rd, Logan O’Hoppe in the 5th, and a 2-run HR to Mike Trout later in the 5th — to give the Angels the 4-3 lead.

The Yank bullpen of Tim Hill, Fernando Cruz, Brent Headrick, and David Bednar held the fort with 4 shutout innings, allowing the Yankee comeback. NY also got great infield and outfield defense all night.

“When I hit the ball I didn’t think (Austin Wells would score from 1st) but when I saw him going around the bases, I was like ‘he’s going to make it’!”, said Jose Caballero afterwards. “Whenever you give us a chance, it’s a dangerous thing” added Caballero when asked about the dropped popup.

“I kind of blacked out and the next thing I knew I was at home plate,” Austin Wells said about his mad dash.

NY improves to 10-8, .5 behind Tampa in the AL East. The Angels fall to 9-10.

1. Judge HR in 1st Puts NY Up 1-0

Jack Kochanowicz — a 26-year-old, 6’7 righty — started for the Angels, and Aaron Judge greeted him with a 2-out blast to left center for a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st.

2. Grisham Drives in 2 in 2nd to Put NY Up 3-0

The 6’7 Kochanowicz — who has some trouble with control — walked Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Jose Caballero in the 2nd, and with 2 outs Trent Grisham ripped a 2-RBI single to left for a 3-0 Yankee lead.

Other than that, Kochanowicz was tough — allowing but a 1-out double to Cody Bellinger in the 3rd, walking Austin Wells to lead off the 4th but getting a double play, and pitching a 1-2-3 inning in the 5th and 6th.

He allowed a leadoff bunt single to Austin Wells in the 7th, but got the next 2 outs and left with a 4-3 lead — Drew Pomeranz getting the final out of the inning.

3. Gil Good But Touched By HR Ball

Austin Wells afterwards said Luis Gil pitched well despite the HR’s, and manager Aaron Boone concurred. “Overall pretty good. Limited the walks. I thought he did a good job for the most part of living at the top of the zone with his fastball; I thought he threw a lot of good changeups too. His slider was a little bit better tonite — where that’s kind of hurt him a bit in Spring Training and his first outing. Overall, gave us a chance to win.”

Gil held a 3-0 lead into the 3rd when he was touched for a leadoff HR by Adam Frazier.

Gil got some help from his defense in the 3rd — Jazz Chisholm Jr.with a sparkling, diving stop and throw for the 3rd out of the inning.

And Gil pitched a shutout 4th.

But in the 5th, Logan O’Hoppe touched him for a leadoff HR to make it 4-3, he struck out Frazier, but walked Neto, and Mike Trout deposited a 95-MPH four-seam fastball over the right-center field wall for a 4-3 Angels lead.

4. Hill, Cruz, Hendrick, Bednar & DEFENSE Hold Fort

The Yankee pen held the fort.

Tim Hill pitched a 1-2-3 shutout 6th.

Fernando Cruz got the first 2 outs of the 7th, but hit Jared Neto with a pitch. Mike Trout then singled to left but Cody Bellinger threw out Neto trying for 3rd.

Brent Headrick pitched a shutout 8th — allowing a leadoff single but getting a double play.

And in the 9th, David Bednar got a great play behind him by Jose Caballero for the 1st out, then struck out the next 2 batters for a 1-2-3 inning.

5. Luck, Speed, and Jose Caballero Walk It Off

And so it was to the 9th with NY down 4-3 and staring at their 6th loss in 7 games, with Jordan Romano on the mound for LA.

Giancarlo Stanton RIPPED a drive to left to start the inning — but Bryce Teodosio made a tremendous catch for the 1st out.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. then popped up to shortstop. But 3rd baseman Oswald Peraza (playing over due to the shift) and shortstop Zach Neto each thought the other one called for it. It dropped and Jazz was on.

Jazz then stole 2nd and Austin Wells worked a 6-pitch walk.

The two took off on a double-steal attempt with the count 1-2 on Jose Caballero — but Caballero fouled the pitch off.

On the next pitch — the two took off again — and this time Caballero ripped a single to left — Jazz scoring easily and Wells — who is fast for a catcher and fast in general — motored around to score by a foot for the walkoff!

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401814946

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*