Anthony Rizzo hit a game-ending single with nobody out in the ninth inning as the host New York Yankees rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Friday night.
On the verge of being blanked for the sixth time this season, the Yankees earned their first walk-off win of the season thanks to rallying against Detroit closer Jason Foley (2-1), who blew his first save of the season.
After Aaron Judge stopped an 0-for-14 skid with a clean single, Alex Verdugo pushed a bunt single to third and Giancarlo Stanton ripped an RBI double to the right field corner.
Two pitches later, Rizzo hit Foley’s 92-mph changeup through the drawn-in infield and under the glove of second baseman Andy Ibanez to easily score Verdugo.
Dennis Santana (2-0) stranded a runner in the top half of the ninth to set up for Rizzo’s game-winning hit.
Rizzo’s hit helped the Yankees win on a 57-degree night when they only mustered two hits off Detroit starter Reese Olson and threatened in the seventh and eighth.
Before the Yankees rallied in their final at-bat, Marcus Stroman and Olson traded zeroes for five innings.
Stroman entered the sixth at only 64 pitches and threw first-pitch strikes to 16 of his first 20 hitters before issuing three straight walks.
After Riley Greene opened the inning with a base hit, Stroman struck out Mark Canha and walked rookie Wenceel Perez and Kerry Carpenter to load the bases. He was one strike away from getting Colt Keith but the rookie worked out a walk to cap an eight-pitch plate appearance to chase Stroman and give the Tigers the lead.
Stroman allowed one run on three hits in 5 1/3 innings. The right-hander struck out three but also issued five walks for the second straight outing.
Olson allowed two hits in five innings. He struck out five and walked two in an 88-pitch outing.
Olson allowed a leadoff single to Anthony Volpe and a two-out single to Gleyber Torres in the second. Volpe was erased when Juan Soto hit into a double play and Olson retired 12 of the final 13 hitters after Torres singled.