Yankees rally for three in ninth but Pirates walk it off in 11th

PITTSBURGH — An impressive ninth-inning rally wasn’t quite enough.

With their bats in a deep freeze for eight innings on a raw Sunday afternoon against the Pirates, the Yankees scored three times with two outs in the ninth to force extra innings.

But after they stranded two runners in both the 10th and 11th innings, the Pirates pushed one across. Tommy Pham singled home designated runner Jack Suwinski to hand the Yankees a 5-4 loss in 11 innings on a 40-degree day at PNC Park.

“Great job by the guys bouncing back,” Aaron Boone said. “You always want to push one across, obviously, in the extra frames. We weren’t able to do that . . . not being able to push it across a few times just caught up with us. A little bit of a tough day for us offensively, but what a great rally in the ninth to get us back into it.”

With one out in the 11th and Pham at the plate facing closer Devin Williams, Suwinski stole third. Pham fouled off three straight 3-and-2 pitches before banging a changeup off the wall in left-center to win it.

“Just trying to keep it down on him,” said Williams, who replaced Luke Weaver after a scoreless ninth and 10th. “He put some good swings on balls and really made me work there in that at-bat.”

The Yankees (6-3), whose offense scored 72 runs and had an MLB-record 25 home runs through their first eight games, produced only one run and five hits entering the ninth. Pirates lefthander Andrew Heaney, a forgettable Yankees trade-deadline acquisition in 2021 best remembered for allowing 13 home runs in 35 2⁄3 innings, struck out 10 in seven innings.

The Yankees’ rally came against lefty Ryan Borucki. Anthony Volpe reached on an infield single with one out and, after Jasson Dominguez walked with two outs, Oswald Peraza doubled down the leftfield line to make it 4-2 and put runners at second and third. Trent Grisham, one of the Yankees’ hottest hitters to start the year (now hitting .455 with a 1.447 OPS), singled to right on a 2-and-2 sweeper to tie it at 4.

Peraza, a one-time top-rated organizational prospect who made the club out of spring training in large part because he was out of options, started his second straight game at third base after collecting two hits on Saturday.

“Just taking advantage of those opportunities,” he said through his interpreter. “Thank God I was able to come through there. That’s a big moment for the team. Just working hard for moments like that when the opportunities come.”

With runners on first and third in the 11th, though, Peraza struck out and Grisham flied out.

Heaney, who went 2-2 with a 7.32 ERA for the Yankees in 2021, allowed one run — a first-inning RBI double by Jazz Chisholm Jr. — five hits and a walk on Sunday. Heaney, whose fastball barely surpasses 90 mph, was especially sharp with his sweeper, curveball and changeup.

“I thought he had a really good mix,” Boone said. “He used kind of everything and, even from our view from [the dugout], just seemed very unpredictable.”

Yankees rookie righthander Will Warren looked good for 2 2⁄3 innings but then ran into trouble. He allowed four runs and six hits in four innings, striking out five and walking one.

After retiring the first eight hitters, he walked No. 9 hitter and former Yankee Isiah Kiner-Falefa with two outs in the third. Three straight hits followed, including Bryan Reynolds’ two-run double. The Pirates (3-7) added two in the fourth on Pham’s sacrifice fly and Kiner-Falefa’s two-out RBI double.

“Two-out walks can’t happen,” Warren said. “That’s where they get you.”

Notes & quotes: Because of expected frigid temperatures in Detroit, which includes night temperatures in the 20s with a chance of snow, the Tigers moved all three 6:40 p.m. games against the Yankees to the afternoon. Monday’s game will start at 3:10 p.m. and Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s games are scheduled to start at 1:10. “I think it makes a ton of sense,” Boone said. “Definitely on board with that.” Before Sunday’s game, Boone said of the cold, “We’re more of a summer game, but it’s part of the game, too, especially in April in the Northeast, the Midwest. You’ve got to deal with the elements some. It’s the same for both clubs. It’s a little more challenging, but one you’ve got to be ready for and hopefully we’re equipped for.”

By Erik Boland

erik.boland@newsday.comeboland11

Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.