Ben Rice hit a 3-run HR in the 7th to tie the game 3-3, but Fernando Cruz allowed a walk and consecutive singles for 2 runs in the 10th to give the Pirates a 5-3 win over the Yankees in the 1st game of a doubleheader on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon in the Bronx.
Gerrit Cole started for the Yanks and was tremendous — pitching a Perfect Game into the 5th and finishing with 7 innings of 4-hit ball with 11 K’s and no walks. But Pirate 3rd baseman Nick Gonzales got him for a 2-run HR with 2 outs in the 5th, and Pirate shortstop Jacob Gonzales got him for a solo HR with 2 outs in the 7th — that gave Pittsburgh a 3-0 lead.
Mitch Keller started for Pittsburgh and shut the Yanks out through 5 innings before yielding to the Pirates pen.
“I thought Gerrit was really good again,” said manager Aaron Boone about Cole. “Had everything going. Slider and curveball were both factors. Changeup was good for the most part — probably not his best one to Gonzales. He was efficient. He had swing and miss going.”
NY drops to 56-45, 2 games back of Tampa and 3 ahead of the Red Sox, who won their 15th straight game. Pittsburgh improves to 53-49, tied for the last Wild Card spot in the NL.
1. Cole Brilliant — Except for Gonzalez & Gonzales HR’s
Good news for NY — Gerrit Cole is looking better and better each time out since coming back from Tommy John surgery. He looked Great last time out, and this time, even greater.
He had a Perfect Game going into the 5th inning — striking out the side in the 2nd, and 2 more in the 3rd.
Cole struck out the first 2 batters in the 5th — and then with 2 outs, 3rd baseman Nick Gonzales singled to left and shortstop Jacob Gonzalez hit a 2-run HR to right for a 2-0 Pirate lead.
2. Keller Shuts Yanks Out thru 5
Mitch Keller meanwhile, pitched 5 shutout innings for Pittsburgh on the brilliant, sunny Wednesday afternoon. The 30-year-old, 6’3 righty was throwing a 93-MPH four-seam fastball, and 89-MPH cutter, 82-MPH sweeper, and an 80-MPH curveball to get Yankees out.
NY got baserunners on Keller — but he was able to keep the Yanks from scoring. He allowed:
- A 1-out single by Jasson Dominguez in the 2nd,
- Ahit-by-pitch of Austin Wells in the 3rd with 1 out,
- Consecutive walks by Spencer Jones and Cody Bellinger leading off the 4th — but then got 3 straight outs, 2 on strikeouts.
- Consecutive 1-out singles by Austin Wells and Trent Grisham in the 5th — but then struck out Ben Rice on a 3-2 sinker, and got Spencer Jones to fly to center.
3. Caballero Called for Disrupting Pitcher in 6th
Jose Caballero was called for a pitch clock violation with 2 outs in the 6th — which caused an argument with the umps.
We have another José Caballero situation.
“You don’t get to do the 3 or 4 seconds in the box anymore”
“You’re picking on me!” pic.twitter.com/pOteQjG0GH
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 22, 2026
“You picking on me. You picking on me. You picking on me,” said Caballero to the ump.
“I’ve going to plead the 5th here,” said manager Aaron Boone afterwards. “. Just Major League Baseball came out with something new today so we have to change, again.” When asked if it was frustrating, Boone said “Very. Very. Embarrassing.”
“I’ve been told very specifically over and over when we have had issues like when I’ve had my conversations with the league that he has to be alert at 8 seconds,” added Boone. “So that’s making sure Cabby looks up at 9 just to make sure he’s in — and that’s very specifically what I’ve been told. And then today they did something different. And they didn’t give us the heads’ up.”
4. Rice 3-Run HR in 7th Ties It
Carmen Mlodzinski — a 27-year-old, 6’2 righty — relieved Keller and pitched a shutout 6th.
But in the 7th, with NY down 3-0 and things looking bleak for Yankee fans, Ryan McMahon led off with a ground rule double, Austin Wells walked, and after Trent Grisham popped out to 3rd, Ben Rice tied the game with a 394-foot HR to right.
Ricewater in his veins. pic.twitter.com/Mr7wNNvcNW
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 22, 2026
5. Headrick and Bednar Do Well
Brent Headrick came in with the score tied 3-2 and struck out the side in the 8th.
Brent Headrick, K’ing the Side in the 8th pic.twitter.com/AABmAlMZqk
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 22, 2026
David Bednar pitched the 9th in a 3-3 game, and allowed a leadoff single and 1-out walk, but got a strikeout and groundout to 1st — with a good play by Rice — to send the game to the bottom of the 9th.
Ben coming up big on both sides of the ball ? pic.twitter.com/3WgztTwVVu
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 22, 2026
6. Cruz Coughs Up 2 Runs in 10th
6’2 lefty Mason Montgomery shut the Yanks out in the bottom of the 9th so the game went to the 10th.
Fernando Cruz came in with the inherited runner on 2nd, and got a fly out — that moved the runner to 3rd. Cruz needed a strikeout but didn’t get one — instead walking Ozuna and coughing up consecutive singles to Triolo (for a 4-3 Pittsburgh lead) and Mangum (for a 5-3 Pittsburgh lead).
According to Katie Sharp: “Fernando Cruz has pitched in Extra Innings in 4 games this season. In those extra innings: 15 batters faced 6-11 (.545), 1 SF, 3 BB, 1 K, 6 RBI allowed.”
With 1st and 3rd and still only 1 out, Kervin Castro relieved Cruz and struck out the last 2 batters of the inning to give the Yanks an outside chance.
7. Pirate Pen Saves It
But 6’1 lefty Gregory Soto came in and got 3 straight outs in the bottom of the 10th — strikeout, popout, popout — for the old ballgame.
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