NEW YORK (AP) — Perhaps nobody was happier the Yankees won Wednesday night than catcher Austin Wells, after his embarrassing mental lapse on the bases cost New York an opportunity in the ninth inning.
“I think I just was being an idiot,” he said.
Anthony Volpe hit a tying homer off Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks with one out in the ninth, then Wells singled and advanced to second base when Trent Grisham tried to bunt for a hit.
Grisham was thrown out at first for the second out and credited with a sacrifice. Wells, however, thought the inning was over and wandered off the bag. He got tagged in a rundown for the third out, sending a back-and-forth game to extra innings as fans in the Yankee Stadium crowd of 45,355 groaned.
“He thought there were three outs,” New York manager Aaron Boone said. “Obviously, can’t happen. With the base coaches we say the right thing. We go through with the pitcher, their time to the plate and number (of) outs. What do you say? Can’t happen.”
Instead of having seven-time All-Star and 2022 NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt at bat with the potential winning run on second base, the Yankees were resigned to keep slugging it out with Tampa Bay in extra innings.
“Just thought there was three outs,” Wells said. “Very embarrassed and disappointed, for sure. You know, you let the guys down when you do that. You give away an out like that in a big spot, so that’s disappointing — and definitely no good thoughts going on there.”
Fortunately for Wells, his teammates bailed him out.
New York fell behind 4-3 in the 10th, tied it again on Cody Bellinger’s run-scoring triple and finally won 5-4 in the 11th on Ryan McMahon’s game-ending single to deep center field after a critical balk by reliever Kevin Kelly.
The Yankees remained four games behind first-place Toronto in the AL East.
“I mean, everyone did such a great job tonight,” Wells said. “Started in the beginning with (rookie pitcher Will Warren). Gave us a great position to come back in that game. And I mean, all the huge hits that happened and then all the huge innings that the relievers threw. What a game. And that’s just something that we’ve been needing, and to come back like that is huge.”
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