Aaron Judge details crucial play that capped Yankees’ historic comeback vs. Mariners

Aaron Judge stood calmly in front of his locker, recounting one of the most dramatic moments of the New York Yankees’ season—a game-winning sacrifice fly that capped a historic comeback and sent Yankee Stadium into a frenzy.

His description was simple, yet telling: “I knew who was at third, so my whole thought going into it was get the ball in the air and let [Volpe] take care of the rest.” Judge said, according to MLB.com.

The Yankees had been hitless until the eighth inning and trailed by five runs. Then, everything changed. Sparked by Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s first hit of the night and capped by Anthony Volpe’s daring slide across home plate, New York erased Seattle’s lead and stunned the Mariners with a 6–5 walk-off win in extra innings.

It wasn’t just any comeback—it was historic. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the Yankees became just the second team in the Expansion Era (since 1961) to win a game after being no-hit and trailing by five or more runs after seven innings. “Baseball is funny like that,” manager Aaron Boone said. “The guys didn’t give up. Just keep grinding at-bats.”

Volpe’s slide seals the comeback

Volpe’s sprint and slide past Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh was a defining image of the night. Off Judge’s sacrifice fly to center field, Julio Rodríguez delivered a perfect throw—but Volpe’s instincts and agility won the moment. “That was sick,” said catcher Austin Wells. “He totally went around him; got his hand in there. That was a great slide.”

Boone echoed the amazement. “I had the best seat in the house,” he said. “I saw the throw was on target, and I’m like, ‘Oh, no!’ But I saw his hand in there.” The umpire review confirmed what the Yankees dugout already knew, and Sinatra’s voice returned to the Bronx air for the third walk-off win of the season.

Before the late-game heroics, Seattle’s Bryan Woo had silenced the Yankees’ bats. He allowed no hits through the first seven innings after walking his first two batters. The Mariners led 5–0 entering the eighth, thanks to Jorge Polanco’s three-run homer that seemed to seal the game.

Stanton delivers off the bench

Chisholm Jr. finally broke up the no-hitter with a clean single, and the Yankees capitalized. Austin Wells’ sacrifice fly plated the first run, then Giancarlo Stanton—coming off the bench as a pinch-hitter—sent a 415-foot missile into the right-field bullpen. It was Stanton’s first pinch-hit homer in his MLB career.

“No lead is safe,” Stanton said. “I had to make sure I was ready to go, and it happens quick. Never put anything past this lineup.”

The Yankees continued the rally against All-Star closer Andrés Muñoz, who leaned heavily on his slider. But the Yankees had picked up on a tell—Muñoz was tipping the pitch, and baserunners like Trent Grisham weren’t shy about signaling.

Wells ties it, Judge ends it

With the bases loaded and two outs, Wells came through again—lacing a 98 mph fastball to right field for a two-run single to tie the game 5–5 in the ninth. The Bronx crowd erupted, sensing something special.

In the 10th inning, it was Judge who provided the finishing touch. His medium-depth fly ball to center wasn’t a sure thing—until Volpe made it one. “There’s nobody else I’d want out there in a situation like that besides Volpe,” Judge said.

Wells summarized it best: “It just shows the versatility that we have. We’ve shown that we can go big early in games, and we can come back late. That was really cool.”