ARLINGTON, Texas — The New York Yankees landed in Texas, fired up the grill and started BBQ-ing their own playoff hopes.
Closer Devin Williams blew the save in the ninth inning, and then the Rangers walked off the Yankees in the 10th inning on Josh Jung’s three-run, two-out blast to left-center field — the final flourish of a painful 8-5 defeat.
“I know everyone feels like crap,” manager Aaron Boone said. “But we’ve got to go take it.”
It was the Yankees’ fourth straight loss, an exclamation point after the embarrassment of a three-game sweep by the Miami Marlins over the weekend, and it dropped New York closer to falling out of the playoff picture.
They’re tied with the Seattle Mariners for the second wild-card spot and they’re in third place in the American League East, 5 1/2 games back of the first-place Toronto Blue Jays.
“Things haven’t been going well for a while,” Williams said. “I think everyone’s well aware of that.”
The Yankees’ clubhouse after the disappointment had all the joy of a dentist office’s waiting room.
Players dressed silently at their lockers. The few of them who spoke whispered to each other. No music played over the speakers. The ping pong table appeared unused. A pack of playing cards sat unopened. Stacks of pamphlets advertising “family fun” and “where to get the best Texas BBQ” were untouched. Magazines sat in the middle of empty tables.
WALK-OFF BOMB FROM THE JUNGSTER! #AllForTX pic.twitter.com/xtT4ddBHiN
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) August 5, 2025
“It sucks,” catcher Austin Wells said, “and we’re grinding, trying to put it on the right track.”
Since June 13, the Yankees are 18-28 — the fifth-worst record in the majors. They haven’t won since Thursday’s trade deadline, when they were universally praised for the flurry of deals they made to fortify their bullpen.
Boone said “there’s no time” for excuses.
“The season’s getting shorter in a hurry,” he said.
Jung’s blast happened right after pitching coach Matt Blake visited the mound and reliever Jake Bird intentionally walked Wyatt Langford. Jung crushed a 1-1 sinker from Bird that was middle-in. The homer was a no-doubter.
Bird also blew up Friday, giving up four earned runs while getting just one out in a loss to Miami. He was brought in from the Colorado Rockies to help the Yankees’ struggling bullpen. But since Friday, the unit has given up 12 earned runs and 15 hits with 14 strikeouts over 16 2/3 innings.
In the ninth, pinch hitter Joc Pederson crushed a solo homer off Williams to tie it 5-5 with two outs in the ninth. Pederson hammered a hanging changeup well into the seats in right field, sending the crowd at Globe Life Field into a frenzy. It was Williams’ second blown save in as many chances. He hadn’t pitched since Wednesday.
In the top of the 10th, the Yankees squandered a chance to bring home the extra-innings runner from third base when Austin Wells hit into an inning-ending double play.
To add injury to insult, left fielder Austin Slater — in his first start with the Yankees since he was acquired at the deadline — felt tightness in his left hamstring while running down the first base line in the first inning. He immediately came out of the game and Jasson Domínguez took over for him. Slater will go on the injured list, Boone said, though the manager added he didn’t know how long Slater would be out.
When asked if the losses and constant disappointment were weighing on the Yankees, Boone immediately said “yes.”
“Doesn’t matter though,” he said. “It doesn’t matter. Weigh on us. Stress. We gotta win. Period. We know that. Nobody cares how stressful it is. That’s all just noise, excuses, whatever. We’ve got to go play better and we’ve got to win, and we know that.”
Williams had an idea how the Yankees could get over the hump. After all, they had played well to start the season, building an AL East lead that topped out at seven games on May 28.
“I think it starts with playing clean ball,” he said. “Playing smart baseball and not giving up outs, not giving away free outs. That’s where it starts.”
Starting pitcher Max Fried went just five innings, giving up four runs. He has a 6.19 ERA over his last six starts.
“It’s simple,” he said. “It’s a results business. We just need to get it done. We haven’t been getting it done. We’ve got to do something to be able to change that.
“It’s everyone. It takes all of us. We have each other’s backs, but like I said, we’ve just got to do it. There’s no more talking about it. We’ve got to get it done and it starts tomorrow.”
The Yankees have to get it done before they look back down at their BBQ grill and see their playoff hopes looking well-done.
(Photo: Ron Jenkins / Getty Images)
