The Yankees got everything they needed Wednesday night — steady pitching, clutch hitting, and a little late-game drama. Ryan Yarbrough set the tone early with his best start since 2022, and Jasson Domínguez finished it off with a walk-off homer in the ninth — the first of his big league career. Just like that, the Yanks locked up the series win over Texas and stayed hot at home.
Yarbrough Sets the Tone in Crafty Fashion
Ryan Yarbrough may be new to the Bronx, but he pitched like a seasoned veteran Wednesday night. Making just his third start in pinstripes, the left-hander turned in a vintage performance to help the Yankees take Game 2 of their series against the Rangers, 4-3. Yarbrough tossed five innings of one-run ball, allowing just three hits and no walks while striking out eight — his highest strikeout total in a start since July 28, 2022, when he was with Tampa Bay.
Yarbrough’s performance was a masterclass in mixing speeds and keeping hitters off balance, a crucial effort that set the tone out the gate. Over his last nine appearances, including three starts, he’s quietly pieced together a 2.28 ERA. Wednesday night added to a growing narrative: the Yankees rotation, even without Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil, continues to deliver. Even with a piecemeal staff that was overlooked by every power ranking known to man, it has now posted a stellar 2.77 ERA over its last 33 games.
Bellinger and the Bats Keep Streaking
While Yarbrough laid the groundwork, the Yankee offense chipped away against Jacob deGrom and the Rangers’ bullpen. Cody Bellinger continued his tear at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a solo home run off deGrom in the seventh. The blast marked his 15th consecutive game with a hit — the longest hitting streak in MLB this season and the longest by a Yankee since Anthony Volpe’s 21-game stretch last year. He also passed Aaron Judge for the longest Yankee hitting streak of 2025, a rare feat considering the tear Judge himself has been on.
Aaron Judge, for his part, delivered once again in the clutch, knocking an RBI single in the eighth to tie the game 3-3. Judge has reached base in 45 of the Yankees’ 48 games this season and is currently among league leaders in on-base percentage. His consistency remains the heartbeat of the lineup, but on this night, the final blow would come from someone else. Someone who the Captain himself said in a postgame interview if the team is going to “go far this year, he’s going to be a big part of it.”
The Martian Makes Bronx Magic
In the bottom of the ninth, with one out and the game still knotted, Jasson Domínguez launched a no-doubt solo shot into the right-field seats — his first career walk-off home run. The 22-year-old became the fourth-youngest player in Yankees history to hit a walk-off homer, joining the likes of Gleyber Torres, Mickey Mantle, and Melky Cabrera. It was also the Yankees’ first walk-off home run since Giancarlo Stanton’s grand slam in September 2022.
The blast capped off yet another comeback win — the Yankees’ 12th of the season. With Domínguez heating up, Bellinger locked in, Judge holding historically steady, and the lineup contributing from top to bottom, the Yankees look increasingly dangerous as they continue to assert themselves atop the AL East.
Looking Ahead: Still More in the Tank
The Yankees are winning — a lot — and doing it in different ways. But even with five straight series wins, a season-high 10-game cushion over .500, and one of the best rotations in baseball right now, it still feels like they haven’t hit their ceiling. Aaron Boone said it himself Tuesday on Talkin’ Yanks: “I still feel like there’s more in there.”
They’ll look to keep pushing for that next gear in Thursday’s series finale, a 12:35 p.m. getaway game against Texas. Carlos Rodón gets the ball as the Yankees go for the sweep and aim to wrap up the homestand 5-1 before heading west.
After that, it’s out to Denver to open a nine-game West Coast swing starting in the Mile High City over Memorial Day Weekend. The wins are stacking up, the pitching’s locked in, and the walk-off magic is back — but there’s a sense around this team that the best might still be coming.
