Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees: Final Score & Recap
Line Score
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| NYY | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
The Story
The New York Yankees defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 2-0 on May 24, 2026, at Yankee Stadium in a game that remained scoreless through eight innings before a walk-off finish in the bottom of the ninth. The DiamondIQ model's estimate opened with the Yankees at a 44 percent chance of winning and closed at 100 percent, with the entire swing concentrated in the game's final moments. Aaron Judge delivered the decisive blow, a home run off Kevin Kelly in the bottom of the ninth that added 28.4 percent in win probability and ended what had been a taut, low-scoring affair. It was a fitting conclusion to a game defined almost entirely by pitching and missed opportunities at the plate.
The path to that ninth-inning moment was paved by a series of costly rallies that never materialized. Austin Wells grounded into a double play in the bottom of the eighth, costing the Yankees 11.3 percent in win probability and extending the scoreless deadlock. Earlier, Junior Caminero's ground ball double play in the top of the third off Ryan Weathers erased a Tampa Bay threat at a loss of 10.3 percent, and Richie Palacios struck out in the top of the ninth off Tim Hill at a cost of 10.9 percent to the Rays. Judge himself had squandered a chance in the bottom of the sixth, grounding into a double play off Drew Rasmussen at a 10.2 percent swing against the Yankees, making his eventual walk-off all the more pivotal.
The pitching staff carried New York through the scoreless innings, with Ryan Weathers leading all pitchers at plus-40.8 percent WPA and Drew Rasmussen close behind at plus-34.1 percent, each neutralizing Tampa Bay's seven-hit output. Tim Hill contributed plus-13.5 percent by closing out the top of the ninth. Among position players, Judge finished as the game's top batter by WPA at plus-16.3 percent with a RE24 of plus-0.9, while Trent Grisham added plus-13.0 percent WPA and plus-0.7 RE24. Tampa Bay's seven hits produced nothing, and the Rays were held off the board entirely despite matching New York's hit total.