Yankees’ embarrassing comeback attempt vs. Red Sox marks an MLB-first

The New York Yankees are great at putting runners on bases, it’s scoring them that poses a problem. The Yankees offensive stagnation was on full display in Tuesday’s American League wild-card game.

Paul Goldschmidt and Aaron Judge started the Yankees’ half of the first with back-to-back base hits against Boston Red Sox starter Garrett Crochet. However, nothing would come of it.

Crochet and Yankees starter Max Fried dueled in what had been a near-spotless rubber match, the lone run coming off an Anthony Volpe home run. After Fried departed in the seventh inning, struggling reliever Luke Weaver took the ball and gave up two runs without recording an out. David Bednar would allow another run on an Alex Bregman double in the ninth. In the bottom half, New York would make history against its former closer Aroldis Chapman, but not the good kind. 

Yankees fail to capitalize on the game's largest possible opportunity at the last second 

In another last-minute comeback attempt, the Yankees managed to load the bases in the bottom of the ninth inning. Goldschmidt and Judge singled again, this time followed by a base hit from Cody Bellinger. With the bases loaded and no outs, the Yankees failed to score a single run, finishing the game with a 3-1 loss.

According to Opta Stats, it is the first time in postseason history where a team loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the ninth and failed to score a run, losing the game.