Bellinger plays hero as Yankees outlast Guardians in 10 innings

June 9, 2026 - 08:37

Cody Bellinger came through in the clutch, delivering a game-winning hit in the 10th inning to lift the New York Yankees past the Cleveland Guardians in a tense, back-and-forth battle. The final score, 5-4, capped a night where the Yankees saw an early lead nearly slip away before Bellinger's heroics saved the day.

The Yankees jumped out in front thanks to a solo home run from Paul Goldschmidt in the second inning. Goldschmidt, who has been finding his rhythm at the plate, turned on a fastball and sent it deep to left field. Third baseman Ryan McMahon continued his scorching stretch at the plate, adding an RBI double in the fourth and later scoring on a sacrifice fly to give New York a 3-0 cushion.

But Cleveland refused to fold. The Guardians chipped away with a pair of runs in the fifth, then tied the game in the seventh on a two-out single. The score remained deadlocked at 3-3 until the ninth, when both teams traded runs to force extra innings.

In the top of the 10th, the Guardians grabbed a 4-3 lead on a groundout that scored the automatic runner. It looked like the Yankees might fall short, but they answered immediately. After a leadoff walk and a bunt moved the tying run into scoring position, Bellinger stepped to the plate with two outs. He worked the count full before lacing a line drive into the right-center gap, scoring both runners and sending the home crowd into a frenzy.

The win improved the Yankees' record in one-run games this season, while the Guardians were left to lament missed opportunities with runners in scoring position. New York will look to build on the momentum in the series finale tomorrow.