Yankees avoid sweep as Ryan McMahon, bullpen shine in win over Phillies

Gary Phillips, New York Daily News on Jul 27, 2025

Published in Baseball

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NEW YORK — The Yankees salvaged a series and avoided a sweep on Sunday, as they defeated the Phillies, 4-3, in the Bronx.

Such a result seemed unlikely for the embattled Bombers in the second inning, as Philadelphia took an early lead after Nick Castellanos and Otto Kemp hit solo home runs off Carlos Rodón. However, Phillies ace Zack Wheeler, who only needed five pitches to get through the first, had his own rough second frame, allowing a single to Giancarlo Stanton before hitting Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Jasson Domínguez.

Ryan McMahon, playing in just his second game with the Yankees after being acquired from the Rockies on Friday, followed with a game-tying, two-run double for his first ribbies in pinstripes.

“It always feels good to come through with the stick,” McMahon said after knocking two hits in the game.

Austin Wells then gave the Yankees the lead with a sac fly before Trent Grisham added an RBI single.

Kemp hit another solo shot off Rodón in the fifth to make it a one-run game, but things could have gone much worse for the southpaw after he permitted an Edmundo Sosa single and walked Weston Wilson. Rodón responded by striking out Johan Rojas for the inning’s first out before McMahon slid to his knees for a grounder and threw out the speedy Trea Turner, preventing a single. Cody Bellinger then made an off-balance catch at the right field wall to end the inning.

“The play he made on Turner, and the kind of ease with which he does it, was pretty impressive,” Aaron Boone said of McMahon. “Couple other good ones, and then obviously a big hit there.”

McMahon, acquired because he is one of baseball’s best defensive third basemen, also made a leaping catch in the fourth inning, as well as a diving stop in his Yankees debut on Saturday.

“It seems like he’s gonna catch it every time, so it’s nice to have,” Rodón said. “He’s already been tremendous.”

Rodón wasn’t exactly tremendous himself, totaling four hits, one walk and eight strikeouts while giving up three earned runs on the homers over 5 1/3 innings and 90 pitches. However, he gave the Yankees a chance for a much-needed victory.

“I wish I was better on some pitches there to a couple guys, but they had some good swings, and we did enough to win today,” Rodón said.

With Rodón working into the sixth, the Yankees’ beleaguered bullpen then kept the Phillies off the board.

Jonathan Loáisiga, Luke Weaver, Tim Hill and Devin Williams recorded the last 11 outs while holding the Phillies’ powerful lineup to one hit and zero walks. The quartet also struck out four.

“That’s what you want it to look like right there,” Boone said, though his pen still needs upgrades before the trade deadline.

The Yankees nearly had another run in the fourth, as Bellinger led the inning off with a triple thanks to some shoddy defense from Castellanos in right.

However, Bellinger ended the inning by getting thrown out at home plate after Chisholm softly lined a ball to Rojas in center. Rojas fired a high throw home, but J.T. Realmuto jumped for the ball before quickly applying a tag to Bellinger’s neck. Bellinger didn’t have the most efficient slide, as his leading legs completely missed home plate before he swiped it with his left hand.

No matter though, as the Yankees were still able to improve to 57-48 on the season. With the Blue Jays losing to the Tigers on Sunday, Boone’s ballclub is now 5.5 games out of first place in the American League East with a divisional matchup against the Rays on deck.

“We know we gotta win,” Boone said before Sunday’s game. “We gotta play well. We’ve dug ourselves in a little hole here, and we’ve got a couple months to still realize all our hopes and dreams.”

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