Mariners walk off Yankees in 11 innings to back Woo's scoreless gem

SEATTLE -- There are no must-win games in mid-May, but still, this was one that the Mariners really needed.

Seattle eked out a 2-1 thriller on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Park to snap its season-high four-game losing streak -- a skid that’s entirely been at home -- on the heels of a dominant pitching effort from Bryan Woo and a walk-off breakthrough from J.P. Crawford, who sliced an RBI single just barely into fair territory down the left-field line in the 11th inning.

No stranger to these moments, Crawford notched his sixth career walk-off by jumping on the first pitch via the funky delivery from Yanks reliever Tim Hill for a left-on-left knock. That scored automatic runner Leody Taveras, who had advanced to third base on a leadoff single from Ben Williamson, an opposite-field hit that’s become a trademark for the rookie.

“It kept slicing,” Crawford said, “and I was like, 'Oh no. Just please stay fair. Let me put something in play tonight, please.’”

Woo had long left the game by that point, but he was easily the night’s MVP, after working 6 1/3 brilliant -- and scoreless -- innings against an offense that’s, statistically, been MLB’s best in 2025. The third-year right-hander also showed more of his blossoming edge, too.

Woo was visibly frustrated when being relieved for lefty Gabe Speier after a one-out single in the seventh, shouting in his glove as he walked off the mound. But he was also the most fired up player in the home dugout after Speier worked out of that jam, which included a walk and a double steal before consecutive punchouts to preserve Seattle’s one-run lead.

Now with a 2.84 ERA in eight starts, Woo has been the Mariners’ most consistent starter. And his confidence is clearly growing in the process, especially as he’s distanced himself from injuries that plagued his first three pro seasons.

“It's not always like right away,” Woo said of his increased emotions. “It kind of happens naturally. But when it does, I just kind of let it go and see where it goes. It's always kind of a controlled aggression, but definitely something I'm working on using. And yeah, it's helped.”

Woo surrendered just four hits, with zero walks and six strikeouts. Woo is the only qualified starter to go six innings in every start to begin 2025. The longevity has been a legitimate attribute for a rotation that has either been hit with notable injuries (George Kirby and Logan Gilbert) or inconsistent results (Luis Castillo and Bryce Miller).

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“He’s one of the real good ones,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I thought his secondary stuff was real good today. You’ve got to get on that heater, and even when you know that’s coming, it’s difficult to really stick.”

Woo was the anchor among a collective pitching effort that was among Seattle’s more gritty of the season -- even when accounting for Andrés Muñoz’s second blown save.

Staked to a 1-0 lead in the ninth, Muñoz surrendered the game-tying run -- albeit unearned -- on a swinging bunt down the first-base line that induced a wide throw from Dylan Moore to the plate and allowed Pablo Reyes to score. Reyes advanced to third on a groundout after pinch-running for Paul Goldschmidt, who led off with a hit-by-pitch then stole second base.

The late scoring change kept Muñoz’s 0.00 ERA intact after 19 outings.

Matt Brash, however, might’ve had the biggest individual highlight of the night when striking out Aaron Judge on three pitches as part of a scoreless eighth, when he worked around a one-out single. It was the biggest spot so far for the electric righty, who was activated from the IL after a nearly 12-month recovery from Tommy John surgery on May 3.

“It has not taken him very long,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said, “and to be in that kind of a leverage situation pretty quickly, and for him to respond like he did was phenomenal.”

The Mariners also became the first team to beat the Yankees in a game started by $218 million ace Max Fried, who entered the day with an MLB-best 1.05 ERA in eight starts.

They didn’t exactly tag him, with just one run scored on a 105.6 mph double from Cal Raleigh off the center-field wall. But they did balloon his pitch count quickly, knocking him out after five innings after he cruised through the first on only five pitches.