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On Saturday night, the New York Yankees suffered a 5-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a walk-off defeat that included a two-run homer by Pavin Smith. The game took place at Chase Field with an attendance of 47,918 fans celebrating the Diamondbacks' 2001 World Series team anniversary. This loss narrowed the Yankees’ lead over the Tampa Bay Rays to five games for first place in the AL East and increased their wild card gap from the Boston Red Sox to 5½ games with eight games remaining in the regular season.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-20,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On Saturday night in Phoenix, the Arizona Diamondbacks celebrated their 2001 World Series victory over the Yankees, only to provide another painful memory for New York by winning a critical game. In the bottom of the ninth inning, pinch hitter Pavin Smith hit a two-run home run off Michael Fulmer, securing a 5-3 victory and sending the Yankees to their eleventh walk-off loss this season. The Diamondbacks' triumph narrowed their gap from the final NL wild card spot by four games with seven left in the regular season, while the Yankees fell further behind the leading Tampa Bay Rays (89-65), now five games ahead of them for first place in the AL East.
Written for “Yankees Loss Shrinks Playoff Hopes” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
PHOENIX — On a night that began with the Diamondbacks honoring the 25th anniversary of their 2001 team that won the World Series against the Yankees, they paid tribute again a few hours later to deliver some more nightmares back in New York.
asserted
they → begin → York
It was by no means Luis Gonzalez versus Mariano Rivera, nor a bloop over a drawn-in infield.
asserted
It → draw → infield
Try it freeBut it was a walk-off in the bottom of the ninth, with Pavin Smith belting a two-run shot off Michael Fulmer to sink the Yankees in a 5-3 loss to the Diamondbacks on Saturday night in front of 47,918 nostalgic fans at Chase Field.
Three hours before first pitch here, multiple Yankees sat in the visiting clubhouse tuned into the Rays and Red Sox game with vested interest in the two teams surrounding them in the standings.
asserted
Yankees → try → standings
The Rays eventually walked off with a 2-1 win, meaning they moved five games ahead of the Yankees (89-65) for first place in the American League East with eight games to play, while the Yankees remained 5 ¹/₂ games clear of the Red Sox for the top AL wild card.
asserted
Yankees → walk → card
Likely AL Cy Young Award winner Cam Schlittler gave up more than one run for the first time since Aug. 3, with the Diamondbacks scratching across three runs against him — two of them unearned — across six innings.
asserted
Diamondbacks → give → innings
Two bunts and a brief lack of command opened the door just enough for the Diamondbacks to get to him, though Schlittler still finished the night with a 1.94 ERA across 190 ²/₃ innings this season, with one more start remaining in the regular season.
asserted
start → open → season
The Yankees had a prime chance to break a scoreless game open in the top of the fifth inning, when they loaded the bases with one out against Diamondbacks right-hander Brandon Pfaadt.
asserted
they → have → Pfaadt
- CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS
But manager Torey Lovullo, in a sign of how desperate his club is in trying to stay alive in the National League wild-card race, went to the bullpen for hard-throwing righty Justin Martinez.
asserted
club → check → Martinez
The move worked, as Martinez limited the damage to just a sacrifice fly from Ben Rice, which put the Yankees ahead 1-0 before Cody Bellinger flew out to end the threat.
asserted
Bellinger → work → threat
The only base runner Schlittler had allowed through four innings was a harmless four-pitch walk in the second before Nolan Arenado blooped a broken-bat single with one out in the fifth.
asserted
Arenado → allow → fifth
Tim Tawa then laid down a bunt to the left of the mound, which Schlittler tried to field himself but bobbled, never even getting a throw off to first base.
asserted
Schlittler → lay → base
Then with two outs, Schlittler got ahead 1-2 on No. 9 hitter Jordan Lawlar before leaving a 99 mph fastball over too much of the plate, as Lawlar smoked it to the gap for a two-run triple that put the Diamondbacks ahead 2-1.
asserted
that → get → Diamondbacks
The Yankees had an immediate response in the top of the sixth, as Heliot Ramos and Austin Wells both crushed solo home runs off righty reliever Kevin Ginkel to regain a 3-2 lead.
asserted
Ramos → have → lead
But then Schlittler did just about the worst thing possible, walking the first two batters on a combined eight pitches to lead off the bottom of the sixth.
asserted
Schlittler → do → sixth
Geraldo Perdomo followed with another bunt to the left of the mound, and this time Ryan McMahon could not get a clean handle on it, loading the bases with no outs.
uncertain
McMahon → follow → outs
Corbin Carroll then hit a sacrifice fly that tied the game 3-3, but Schlittler settled down from there, striking out the next two batters to strand a pair of runners in scoring position.
asserted
Schlittler → hit → position
Brent Headrick and Paul Blackburn then came on in relief to provide the next six outs to the ninth inning.
asserted
Headrick → come → inning
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