Yankees 3, Braves 2: Rice Ties It in the Ninth, McMahon Wins It in the 10th

August 7, 2026 - New York - For eight innings it was a pitchers' duel between old friends and new uniforms. Then Atlanta hit two late homers, New York refused the ending, and the clock pushed past midnight.

Ben Rice ripped a tying single off the right-field fence with two outs in the ninth, Ryan McMahon lifted a game-winning sacrifice fly in the 10th, and the New York Yankees beat the Atlanta Braves 3-2 in a rain-delayed scrap that snapped Atlanta's eight-game winning streak.

Fried vs. Mahle, zeroes for days

Max Fried worked 6 1/3 scoreless innings in his first start against the club that raised him. Tyler Mahle matched him with six shutout innings in his Atlanta debut. For most of the night, the best story was how little either lineup could do.

That changed in a hurry.

Austin Riley homered in the eighth. Matt Olson went deep in the ninth. Suddenly it was 2-0 Braves, Raisel Iglesias was on the mound, and Yankee Stadium was measuring the final three outs of a lost duel.

Two outs, nobody on, then chaos

Austin Wells, mired in a slump, doubled home a run with the Yankees down to their last out. Amed Rosario walked. Rice, on a 1-0 changeup, drove a ball off the right-field fence to tie it at 2-2. The building that had been quiet for eight innings found its voice in about 90 seconds.

In the 10th, with the automatic runner on, McMahon lifted a sacrifice fly. David Bednar (5-3) got the win. Tyler Kinley (6-5) took the loss. Atlanta's eight-game streak was over. New York had a series-opening win it absolutely needed to steal.

East races that will not separate

The Yankees (65-51) sit 4 1/2 behind Tampa Bay in the AL East with Boston right behind them on a nine-game tear. One extra-inning win does not rewrite that math, but it does keep the Bronx from becoming a place where late leads against good clubs feel hopeless.

Atlanta (70-46) still owns the NL East by a wide margin. Losing a game after Riley and Olson go deep late is the kind of night that stings more than it scars. Mahle's debut was excellent. The bullpen's ninth was not.

AthX Engine angle

New York finished with 7 AthX Engine team fantasy points, a modest team score that matches a 3-2 extras game better than a blowout board ever could. Fried graded out at 22.33 pitching FP. Mahle had 24 in a no-decision. On AthX Engine, the starters won the night even when only one club left with the W.

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What it means

Rice's single will be the clip. Fried's return against Atlanta will be the subplot. McMahon's fly ball will be the final. Together they gave New York a reminder that September games in the Bronx can start in August when the opponent is this good and the ninth is this loud.

*Sources: MLB.com gameday final, ESPN recap, AthX Engine daily scoring for August 7, 2026. Information only; not financial advice.*