Athletics Relievers Shut Yankees Down in Narrow Win

Lawrence Butler of the Athletics diving in to score against the Yankees.

Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

April 8, 2026

Athletics 3, Yankees 2

Brent Rooker broke a 2–2 ninth-inning tie with a sacrifice fly after the Athletics pitching staff held the New York Yankees scoreless beyond the first inning, giving the Athletics a 3–2 win Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium.

Athletics starter Luis Severino, after surrendering two runs on three hits and two walks in the first inning, held the Yankees scoreless across the next four. In the process, he limited the potent Yankees offense to one hit and three walks, striking out four. Relievers Scott Barlow, Hogan Harris, Elvis Alvarado, and Joel Kuhnel combined to hold the Yankees hitless across the final four innings. Only two Yankees even reached base in that span, and they came on a pair of seventh-inning walks.

Athletics – Yankees Game Summary

The Yankees scored their two first-inning runs on an RBI single by Cody Bellinger and a bases-loaded walk by J.C. Escarra. In the fourth, the Athletics equalized. Run number one came on an RBI single from Jeff McNeil. The second came when Yankees starter Will Warren uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Max Muncy to score. Rooker hit the sacrifice fly with one out in the top of the ninth, a fly to deep right-center off closer David Bednar that brought Kurtz home from third. Kuhnel pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out Ryan McMahon to end the game for his first career save.

What Went Right for the Athletics

Pitching beyond the First Inning

After the Yankees scored twice in the opening frame, Athletics relievers shut the door. Barlow struck out four of the five hitters he faced. Harris worked around two walks in the seventh. Alvarado delivered a high‑leverage eighth with a strikeout. Kuhnel finished the ninth on 11 pitches, ending the game with a strikeout. Across the final four innings, the Yankees did not record a hit and reached base only twice.

Two-out Execution in the Fourth

Down 2–0, the Athletics built their entire fourth‑inning rally with two outs. Lawrence Butler and Max Muncy reached on consecutive singles. McNeil drove in Butler with a single to left. Carlos Cortes walked to load the bases, and Muncy scored the tying run on a wild pitch. The inning reset the game and shifted momentum toward the Athletics.

The Ninth Inning

Nick Kurtz opened the ninth with a single to left, and Shea Langeliers followed with a double to deep left‑center, putting runners on second and third with no outs. After a strikeout, Rooker lifted a fly to deep right‑center for the go‑ahead sacrifice fly. The inning produced two hard‑hit balls against Bednar and gave the Athletics their first lead of the night.

What Went Wrong for the Athletics

Command in the First

Severino needed 34 pitches to get through the first inning, allowing three hits and two walks. The Yankees loaded the bases twice and scored both of their runs before the Athletics recorded the third out. Severino settled in afterward, but the early traffic forced the bullpen to cover four innings.

Missed Chances with Runners On

The Athletics finished 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on base. Six were in scoring position. They stranded one in the second, one in the third, two in the fourth, two in the fifth, one in the sixth, one in the seventh, and one in the eighth. Both runners in the fourth, one in the fifth, and each stranded runner in the seventh and beyond were in scoring position. The ninth‑inning breakthrough kept those missed opportunities from costing them a victory.

Limited Production from Middle of Order

The 3–5 hitters combined to go 0-for-10 with two walks and three strikeouts, with the lone RBI coming on Rooker’s sacrifice fly.

Looking Ahead

Alvarado earned the win for the Athletics as Bednar took the loss, both in relief. As mentioned earlier, Kuhnel notched the save.

The Athletics (4–7) will face the Yankees (8–3) in the third and final game of the series on Thursday. The starting pitcher matchup will be a battle of lefties — Jeffrey Springs (11–11, 4.11 ERA in 2025) for the Athletics and Ryan Weathers (2–2, 3.99 ERA in 2025 with the Miami Marlins) for the Yankees. First pitch will be at 1:37 pm Eastern/10:37 am Pacific.