Yankees no-hit through 10 innings, but wake up and deliver 13-inning walk-off victory

NEW YORK – Yankees’ ace Gerrit Cole continued to pitch like the odds-on AL Cy Young award winner for 2023, but his mound opponent was nearly untouchable Sunday afternoon.

Milwaukee Brewers’ star right-hander Corbin Burnes no-hit the Yankees over eight innings, departing in a scoreless game at Yankee Stadium.

And then things got really bizarre.

A combined no-hitter by four Brewers pitchers ended in the 11th inning, with Oswaldo Cabrera's game-tying, line drive double to right with one out against Joel Payamps.

In the 13th inning, Kyle Higashioka's one-out double to left - only the Yanks' third hit of the day - gave the Yankees a 4-3 win, in their longest and oddest game of the year.

The 10.1 hitless innings by Milwaukee pitching and the on-field postgame madness, with teammates tearing Higashioka's jersey off his back to celebrate his first MLB walk-off hit, soon became a secondary story.

In the postgame clubhouse, the Yankees learned the stunning news that celebrated rookie outfielder Jasson Dominguez required right elbow surgery, which could keep him sidelined until June or July of next season.

Dominguez had been scratched before Sunday's game - delayed 16 minutes at the start by rain - due to elbow inflammation, prompting the Yankees to send him for tests.

The switch-hitting rookie center fielder's absence further weakened a lineup that had been listless in two straight losses to Milwaukee.

Entering Sunday, the Yanks had been outscored 17-4 in the first two games of this series, with the Brewers out-hitting them 27-7.

Gerrit Cole's push for the AL Cy Young award

Once again, Ben Rortvedt caught call, as Higashioka's appearances behind the plate have been diminished by that pairing and rookie Austin Wells' recent call-up.

But as Cole had success with his cutters, curveballs and 97-mph fastballs Sunday, Higashioka and pitching adviser Andy Pettitte watched in the wings.

"We were just kind of laughing,” Higashioka said. “When you throw certain pitches that are so nasty - we knew that they didn’t have much of a chance against him today, with the stuff he had.''

Cole exited after seven scoreless innings, taking another tough no-decision in lowering his ERA to an AL-best 2.79 over 30 starts.

And the ace right-hander's 23 starts of two or fewer runs allowed are the most by any MLB pitcher this season.

"The ball leaves my hand, but a lot of the thoughts come from other people,'' Cole said after yielding just three hits and no walks, with nine strikeouts. "I'm thankful I'm able to stay healthy and have people that surround me to support it.''

During the game, Cole reached the 200-strikeout mark in a season for the sixth time in his career, becoming the first Yankee to register at least 200 Ks in three different seasons.

Cole called it "a cool number'' and that it's "something that I'm proud of,'' but emphasized that "there's more work to do.''

Corbin Burnes' dominance, Giancarlo Stanton's clutch home run

A 1-1 game rolled into the 12th inning, where the NL Central-leading Brewers scored twice - only to watch Giancarlo Stanton blast a game-tying, two-run homer off Andrew Chafin.

Stanton's blast to center was just the Yankees' second hit of the day.

Closer Devin Williams had kept the no-hitter going with a perfect ninth, ending with a strikeout of Aaron Judge to send the scoreless game to extra innings.

In the 10th, with Abner Uribe pitching, Milwaukee right fielder Sal Frelick made a phenomenal game-saving catch.

With the winning run on second base, Frelick made a leaping grab against the wall - narrowly avoiding a collision with center fielder Joey Wiemer - after a long run to rob Anthony Volpe.

After Milwaukee took a 1-0 lead in the 11th, the Yankees tied it with Cabrera's one-out double to right.

Burnes was at 109 pitches when his day ended, one pitch shy of his high pitch count total for the year, on May 27.

In a brilliant effort, Burnes only wobbled in the fifth, walking Stanton to open the inning and walking rookie Everson Pereira with two out before retiring Cabrera on a foul pop.

Burnes finished with two walks and seven strikeouts. Entering the game, no one on the current Yankees active roster had faced Burnes other than DJ LeMahieu, who walked in one plate appearance.

"He's one of the best pitchers in the world,'' Cole said after their battle Sunday, with the win going to Sunday call-up Anthony Misiewicz, who tossed a scoreless13th inning.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Yankees no-hit through 10 innings, but win in 13 innings over Brewers