Fernando Cruz ruined a great Yankee comeback by blowing the save in the bottom of the 10th, handing Boston a 5-4 win and sweep of the 4 game series on a Sunday night at Fenway.
The Yanks were being no-hit into the 8th by former Yankee Sonny Gray, and — after Amed Rosario broke up the no hitter with 1 out in the 8th — were still losing 2-0 in the 9th when they launched a last-second comeback — scoring 2 runs on Aroldis Chapman to tie the game, then went ahead with 2 runs in the top of the 10th!
But with David Bednar having pitched a shutout 9th, Fernando Cruz came in for the 10th and blew a 4-2 lead, allowing RBI single (to score the inherited runner), double, sac fly, and RBI single to send the Yanks down in flames.
“Obviously Cruzer had a tough one — left some pitches up for them,” said manager Aaron Boone afterwards. “It’s one of those crap moments of the season. Crap times of the season where you have a rough weekend against a division rival.”
“That’s what we do baby,” added Boone when asked how the team can avoid the loss and series sweep snowballing. “You gotta love this stuff. You have to eat this stuff up — it’s a sickness. That’s what the grind is. We got a really good freakin team. We played crappy on this trip, It feel sbad. Kind of pissed off. But it’s what we do. It’s what you sign up for. We’ll dig ourselves out of it and get it going here in short order.”
NY drops to 48-35 and out of 1st place — they are now 1 game behind Tampa. Boston improves to 36-46.
1. Rodon Good — Allows 2 Unearned Runs
Carlos Rodon pitched great — especially through the first 3 innings as he powered through the Boston lineup, striking out the side 1-2-3 in the 3rd.
He ran into trouble in the 4th — when he walked Wilyer Abreu with 1 out, and then Oswaldo Cabrera booted a grounder to put runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out.
Oswaldo Cabrera boots one pic.twitter.com/W7bDHHJCo2
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) June 29, 2026
Rodon got a groundout which should have been the 3rd out — but was only the 2nd out due to the error. Caleb Durbin then singled in 2 runs and it was 2-0 Boston.
Rodon walked two more batters to load the bases before getting the final out. Afterwards he blamed himself for the 2 unearned runs.
“Got a little inconsistent with some changeups,” said Rodon on his 4th inning. “Limiting the walks probably changes the outing — keeps it 0-0 there.”
But he powered through the 5th and 6th — both 1-2-3 shutout innings and left trailing 2-0.
2. Gray No Hits Yanks Into 8th
Meanwhile former Yank Sonny Gray was on his game — throwing cutters, curves, sweepers, and a 92-MPH sinker to no hit the Yanks into the 8th inning.
Finally Amed Rosario ripped a single up the middle with 1 out in the 8th to break up the no no.
https://t.co/4MkCUredS3 pic.twitter.com/Gg8amedNoe
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) June 29, 2026
3. Blackburn Comes Up Big
Paul Blackburn relieved Rodon after 6 innings and did good — pitching a 1-2-3 shutout 7th and 8th, keeping the Yanks in the game, behind 2-0.
4. Yanks Tie It in 9th Off Chapman
That brought the game to the 9th, the Yanks with their backs to the wall, down 2-0 with Aroldis Chapman in for the save.
Chapman had just saved the game the night before — and as Yankee fans know — that meant he was susceptible.
And NY got cracking right away against him – a leadoff single by Jose Caballero, a walk by Anthony Volpe put runners on 1st and 2nd. Ben Rice flied out to Wilyer Abreu in right — but Abreu threw the ball badly into the infield and Caballero came around to score. Boston 2 NY 1.
CHAOS! It’s now 2-1 and the tying run is at third base with one out pic.twitter.com/TSeQBL5r4f
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) June 29, 2026
Paul Goldschmidt then hit a groundout to tie the score.
Goldy ties it up ? pic.twitter.com/JTkaxjwWJD
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 29, 2026
5. Yanks Take 4-2 Lead in 10th!
David Bednar pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the 9th to send the game to the 10th.
Justin Slaten pitched the top of the 10th for Boston, and Amed Rosario — who had broken up the no hitter in the 8th — led off the inning with a bloop single to right that Abreu couldn’t quite catch, scoring Max Schuemann (the inherited runner on 2nd) for a 3-2 Yankee lead!
Coming through in the clutch ? pic.twitter.com/Qiqzm65pKi
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 29, 2026
Oswaldo Cabrera then bunted Rosario to 3rd, and Austin Wells put the ball in play for a 4-2 Yankee lead!
Oswaldo lays down a sac bunt and then Wells puts one in play to make it 4-2 Yankees! pic.twitter.com/PHdzdJQXGM
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) June 29, 2026
6. Fernando Blows It
But things went from ecstasy to agony for the Yanks as Fernando Cruz came in and his splitter didn’t split — it kept hanging as he allowed single to Anthony Seigler for a 4-3 game, double to Masataka Yoshida to put runners on 2nd and 3rd, sac fly to Tsung-Che Cheng to a 4-4 tie, and single to Jarren Duran for the old ballgame.
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