Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees Secure Walk-Off Win After Snapping Historic Hitless Streak Against Astros

The Yankees nearly became the first team in MLB history to be held hitless in back-to-back games. Then, they came back and won.

Max Goodman

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NEW YORK — The Yankees understood how much of a challenge it was going to be facing the Astros this weekend, the best club they've gone up against so far this season.

Nobody anticipated that Houston's pitching staff would dominate New York's offense quite like this, though.

After three Astros pitchers tossed a combined no-hitter on Saturday, Houston's right-hander Jose Urquidy carried a no-no of his own into the seventh inning on Sunday.

Giancarlo Stanton's solo home run with one out in the seventh marked New York's first hit in 16.1 innings, dating back to the eighth inning of Friday's loss. Those in pinstripes had made a grand total of 52 outs on offensive between hits.

Even after a nightmarish stretch on offense, an improbable run of ineptitude for the team with the league's best record to date, the Yankees were able to slam into action and do what they do best. 

After a game-tying two-run homer from DJ LeMahieu in the eighth, sparking a seismic eruption from 44,028 fans in attendance in the Bronx, New York secured their 10th walk-off win of the season in the bottom of the 10th. 

Aaron Judge was the hero, smacking a three-run homer into the visitor's bullpen in left-center field. It was Judge's 28th home run of the year and his third walk-off hit of the season, the fourth of his career. 

Before storming back, the Yankees were in legitimate danger of becoming the first team in MLB history to be held hitless in back-to-back games. Instead, New York secured their 22nd comeback victory of the year in dramatic fashion, the most come-from-behind wins in the league this season.

Sunday's win also secured a series split with Houston, a foe they'll probably need to beat in October if they want to contend for a World Series title. 

Speaking of championships, something New York is shooting for each season, the Yankees now have history on their side.

The 1981 Dodgers and 1973 Athletics are the only other teams in the expansion era (since 1961) to be held hitless for 16 innings. Both those teams went on to win the World Series. 

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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