Yankees Outlast Rangers Behind Bellinger, Chisholm Heroics

The New York Yankees survived a resilient Texas Rangers team on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium, pulling out a 7-4 victory in a game that featured all the drama you’d expect from a May matchup between two perennial contenders. This wasn’t a dominant performance by any stretch, but it was a winning one, and in baseball, that’s all that matters.

DeGrom’s Rare Stumble

Jacob deGrom took the loss, and yes, you read that right. The future Hall of Famer lasted just 6.1 innings, allowing six earned runs on seven hits while striking out seven. That’s the kind of line that would be acceptable for a mid-rotation starter, not a pitcher of deGrom’s pedigree. The Rangers came out swinging immediately, scratching two runs in the first inning on a Joc Pederson sacrifice fly and an Ezequiel Duran single. DeGrom was sharp with his strikeout stuff, fanning Chisholm Jr. and others, but command issues and some hard contact left him vulnerable.

The Yankees’ offense responded in kind, with Cody Bellinger immediately answering with an RBI double in the first. Then Ryan McMahon absolutely crushed a two-run homer in the second that would’ve cleared most MLB ballparks. McMahon looked like a man on a mission, and frankly, he was one of the few Yankees hitters who consistently punished mistakes early.

The pivot point came in the sixth inning when Jazz Chisholm Jr. launched a 413-foot bomb to right-center field, a moonshot that gave the Yankees a 4-3 lead they wouldn’t relinquish. That bat flip wasn’t arrogance, it was justified confidence. A hitter that talented making that kind of contact at that moment? You’re earning the right to show some style.

Bullpen Theater Steals the Show

Brent Headrick earned the win despite pitching just 1.1 innings, escaping a bases-loaded jam with aplomb. That’s relief pitching in 2026, folks. These spot appearances in high-leverage situations are where games are won and lost. Headrick executed when it mattered most.

Bellinger proved to be the Yankees’ secret weapon on this night, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs, including a crucial two-run double in the seventh that essentially sealed the deal. He’s not flashy, not a household name anymore, but he’s exactly the kind of veteran presence that teams need in the postseason, assuming the Yankees get there.

David Bednar finished the job with 1.2 innings of work, earning the save by slaming the door shut in the eighth and ninth. The Rangers mounted a late-game rally with Jake Burger driving in a run on a groundout in the ninth, but it came too late to matter.

The Rangers’ lineup showed real competence, with Josh Jung going 3-for-5 and Duran also reaching base multiple times. This Texas team has talent and fought hard, but sometimes that’s simply not enough against a Yankees roster loaded with championship experience.

Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium belonged to New York, even if it was messier than manager Aaron Boone would’ve preferred. In a season with 162 games, these kinds of gritty wins often matter more than the dominant ones.