The New York Yankees were six outs away from starting the season 4-0 for the second straight year, but an eighth-inning collapse resulted in a 7-5 series-opening loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.
New York (3-1) held a 4-3 lead before Eugenio Suárez launched a grand slam off Mark Leiter Jr., sealing the Diamondbacks’ (3-2) win.
Before that, Yankees pitching had been strong, allowing just two runs on one hit. With Devin Williams unavailable, manager Aaron Boone turned to Tim Hill, who gave up a double and a single before Leiter Jr. entered. After walking two batters and recording a strikeout, Leiter Jr. left a splitter over the plate, and Suárez sent it 376 feet over the left field wall.
Will Warren made his season debut for the Yankees, allowing two runs on one hit and four walks while striking out four over five innings.
Jasson Domínguez got the Yankees on the board with a solo home run in the third, and Anthony Volpe’s fourth-inning blast set an MLB record for most home runs (17) by a team through four games. Ben Rice made it 18 with a solo shot in the ninth, his second of the season.
The Yankees and Diamondbacks continue their series Wednesday night in The Bronx, with Carlos Rodón taking the mound against Arizona’s Zac Gallen.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].