Yankees Finally Showing What Was Missing During Summer Swoon Ahead of All-Star Break

The New York Yankees have done something in three straight games, they couldn't do once during summer swoon.

New York Yankees center fielder Trent Grisham (12) hits a two run home run against the Washington Nationals during the eighth inning at Nationals Park. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Yankees have 23 comeback wins this year. Having the ability to claw back was the one thing they lacked when things started to fall apart for them in mid-June and early this month. They displayed a bit of that recently during the Rays series, when Tampa scored first on Wednesday, and the Yankees didn't put up much of a fight, getting blanked 3-0.

It's hard to say what changed, and the Washington Nationals having one of the worst pitching staffs from top to bottom certainly helps, but over the weekend, they showed they can still get the big hit when necessary. Heading into the ninth inning on Friday night with one out already, Jazz Chisholm Jr., who called himself and his team out this week, was able to come through with one of the biggest blasts of the year.

Matt Krook, the former Yankee farmhand, watched as the sweeper he left down the heart of the plate found its way to the seats. Chisholm's homer gave the Yankees the lead, and he also had one of those exemplary bat flips that Chisholm does best.

Game two's heroics were just as impressive. The Yankees were down 2-0 and were 0-8 with runners in scoring position.

Ryan McMahon finally put the Yankees on the board with a homer. Then, with José Caballero on base, Trent Grisham, one of the most clutch bats on the team, sent a ball to the same place Chisholm did the night before. That put the Yankees up for good, and Paul Goldschmidt notched another homer for good measure that inning.

See ya 👋

Trent Grisham mashes a 2-run shot to put the @Yankees ahead in the 8th! pic.twitter.com/V9UsalNPN8

— MLB (@MLB) July 11, 2026

Where it all started for the Yankees

These comeback wins could be traced back to an at-bat early on in game four against the Rays. While that one didn't have the late-inning heroics the Nationals series has had, in the third inning, against Drew Rasmussen, one of the best in the league and a guy who has owned the Yankees in his career, McMahon was able to grind Tampa's ace down.

New York Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon (19) hits a RBI double in the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the Yankees down 1-0, and coming off a night where they couldn't do anything offensively, it looked like it was going to be another long game, but McMahon wore Rasmussen out. His 12-pitch at-bat, which saw seven foul balls, ended with McMahon scorching a double down the line and tying it up for the Yankees. They never looked back after that one and went on to win 12-4.

If the Yankees are going to claw back into the American League East, they're going to have to start putting together more of these gritty games. Looking lifeless and feeling like a one- or two-run deficit might as well feel like they're getting blown out is one thing they need to get out of their system.

The swoon was defined by lackluster offense. Hopefully, this weekend showed the Yankees that just because they're down, they aren't out.