Nationals 26th Blown Save Sells Out Back-to-Back Bombs Against Yankees

There is nothing quite like the electric spark of back-to-back home runs turning a deficit into a late-inning lead before a packed house. But for the sellout crowd of 38,085 at Nationals Park on Friday night — many of whom stuck around through an agonizing two-hour rain delay — that jubilation was stolen away by a bullpen script we’ve watched play out far too many times.

Despite a resilient offensive surge that saw Keibert Ruiz and James Wood go back-to-back on consecutive pitches in the seventh, the relief corps once again couldn’t protect the house. The bullpen collapsed in the ninth to hand the New York Yankees a crushing 5-3 comeback victory, marking Washington’s Major League-leading 26th blown save of the season.

The Seventh-Inning Electricity

For the first six innings, it was a gritty, rain-soaked battle. Starter Carson Palmquist and reliever Zack Littell bent but largely kept Washington within striking distance, entering the seventh-inning stretch down 2-1 after early solo bombs from New York’s Ben Rice and Jasson Domínguez.

Then came the bottom of the seventh off Yankees reliever Tim Hill.

Ruiz stepped into the box and immediately changed the energy of the ballpark, turning on a pitch and driving it deep down the left-field line for his seventh homer of the year to tie the game. But the fireworks weren’t done. On the very next pitch, Wood showed exactly why he’s earned his All-Star stripes this season. The slugger slowed the moment down and absolutely pulverized a ball to right-center for his 26th home run of the year.

In the span of two pitches, Washington flipped a frustrating 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead. The crowd was deafening, the momentum had shifted completely, and the home team was just six outs away from a statement win over an AL East heavyweight.

The Ninth-Inning Nightmare: Blown Save No. 26

When you hold a one-run lead against a lineup featuring some of the most potent bats in baseball, your high-leverage relief pitching has to be surgical. Instead, the top of the ninth turned into a disaster class in command and execution—adding yet another staggering tally to the worst late-inning conversion rate in baseball.

The decision to hand the ball to left-hander Matt Krook to close out a tight game immediately backfired. Krook entered the night carrying a rough track record—allowing 22 earned runs across 12 1/3 big-league innings dating back to 2023—and the Yankees wasted no time capitalizing. After yielding a one-out single to Domínguez, Krook hung a pitch to Jazz Chisholm Jr., who launched a no-doubt, game-winning two-run shot into the upper deck to silence Nationals Park and officially notch blown save number 26.

Before the inning finally bled out, Justin Lawrence took over and served up an insurance solo shot to Austin Wells, extending the deficit to 5-3 and putting the game out of reach. David Bednar closed the door for New York in the bottom of the ninth, making the bullpen collapse complete.

The Long-Ball Tale of the Tape

In a game where seven of the eight total runs came via the long ball, the contrast in late-inning pitching execution was the ultimate differentiator:

The Hard Truth: Leading the entire Major Leagues with 26 blown saves is a staggering, systemic failure that undermines the genuine progress of this young core. You cannot build a winning culture around explosive young talent like Wood and Ruiz if the bridge to the final out keeps collapsing. When your offense delivers clutch, late-inning fireworks against a premier opponent, the relief corps must hold the line.

Until late-inning roles are stabilized and the bullpen finds reliable command, nights that should be celebrated as signature comeback victories will continue to devolve into late-night heartbreak.