Yankees make franchise history with third straight comeback

New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Yankees make franchise history with third straight comeback in series sweep

By Mike J. Asti | Last updated Jul 13, 2026 9:57 AM ET

Entering the MLB All-Star break riding high, the New York Yankees made history on Sunday.

New York's come-from-behind 5-3 victory over the Washington Nationals completed a series sweep and showed a type of historic resilience for a team trying to stay in contention without its best player.

Still without Aaron Judge, who hasn't played since May 31, the Yankees rallied back after trailing entering the eighth inning for the third straight game. The Yankees trailed 1-0 after the first inning and then were down by one run again going into the eighth. But a Ben Rice triple put New York in front and secured the Yankees' fourth consecutive win before the break.

Ben Rice played hero for the Yankees on Sunday

Rice belted a 2-2 pitch to deep left center field, a ball that just missed exiting Nationals Park for a home run. Both runners on base in front of him scored as Rice made it all the way to third base.

Caution: The Rice is HOT pic.twitter.com/f3x5dNz1nS
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 12, 2026

New York accomplished franchise history over a century in the making

The Yankees would add one more in the ninth for the win. Sunday's win came after scoring four in the eighth on Saturday and three in the ninth on Friday, marking the first time a Yankees team swept a series of at least three games after facing a deficit in the eighth inning or later since May 1910 against Cleveland. The last time it took place across baseball prior to this past weekend was the 2014 Colorado Rockies over the San Francisco Giants.

While Judge's return will be necessary for the Yankees to truly have a shot at making a run at the American League pennant, the depth of New York's lineup makes it so it is never out of games. However, even with the Yankees' recent good fortune, they still sit three games behind the rival Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East.

Mike J. Asti

Mike Asti is an experienced media personality and journalist with a vast resume and skillset, most notably from time with TribLIVE Radio and WPXI-TV. Asti now serves as the Managing Editor of WV Sports Now, where he leads the coverage of WVU sports. He has also covered the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates and other teams within the Pittsburgh market

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