NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 29: Didi Gregorius #18 of the New York Yankees celebrates after hitting a game winning two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Texas Rangers at Yankee Stadium on June 29, 2016 in the Bronx borough of New York City. Yankees defeated the Rangers 9-7 (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
After a hapless defeat, the Yankees turned to their ace to pick the team back up.
Masahiro Tanaka worked through an error in the first inning but the Rangers got him afterwards. In the second inning, Prince Fielder led off with a double and eventually scored on a single by Elvis Andrus. The Yankees had a response when Chase Headley hit a solo home run but the Rangers continued giving Tanaka trouble.
Nine hitter Robinson Chirinos led off with a single and Shin-Soo Choo got on base with a single before Ian Desmond walked to load the bases. With the bases loaded, Nomar Mazara hit a double to right-center that scored all three runs, putting the Rangers ahead by three. An infield single by Prince Fielder brought in Mazara and the Rangers were ahead by four.
Masahiro Tanaka held them quiet until the sixth inning. Rougned Odor hit a fly ball to left, putting the Rangers ahead by five.
In six innings, Masahiro Tanaka allowed six runs on eight hits with one walk and seven strikeouts.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Yankees got a sacrifice fly from Chase Headley to bring them within four. Luis Cessa pitched a scoreless seventh inning but Adrian Beltre put them back ahead by five in the eighth inning when he hit a solo home run to right field.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Brian McCann took Cesar Ramos deep for a solo home run, bringing the Yankees back within four.
In the ninth inning, down by four, Rob Refsnyder led off with a single. Jacoby Ellsbury walked to keep the momentum as closer Sam Dyson got the call for an unexpected save situation. On a single to center field, Brett Gardner brought home Refsnyder on an error to bring the Yankees within three. Alex Rodriguez lined out for the first out but Brian McCann flexed his muscles one more time when he hit a game-tying three-run home run to right field. Starlin Castro walked after the home run and Didi Gregorius sent Yankees fans home happy with a game-winning, two-run home run to left field. The home run was his first walk-off hit of his career.
The walk-off win was the first Yankees win when trailing by at least five runs in the eighth or later since May 1, 2009 against the Angels.
Win – Luis Cessa (1-0)
Loss – Sam Dyson (1-2)
Notables
Rangers
*Nomar Mazara – 1 for 5, R, 2B, 3 RBI (35)
*Adrian Beltre – 1 for 4, R, Solo home run (12) in the 8th, RBI (52)
Yankees
*Didi Gregorius – 2 for 5, R, Walk-off, two-run home run (7) in the 9th, 2 RBI (35)
*Brian McCann – 2 for 3, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 HR (12; Solo & three-run) in the 8th & 9th, 4 RBI (34)
