CHICAGO — The New York Yankees’ bullpen struggled Wednesday night, allowing the Chicago White Sox to mount a late comeback and secure a 6-5 walk-off victory at Rate Field. The loss highlighted ongoing challenges in the Yankees’ relief corps, which has been heavily taxed in recent weeks due to an underperforming lineup and limited availability of key pitchers.

With three of their top relievers—David Bednar, Brent Headrick, and Angel Chivilli—unavailable after consecutive days of pitching, the Yankees bullpen bore the brunt of the workload. Paul Blackburn, who had been a reliable arm with a 0.92 ERA over his last 25 appearances, surrendered back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning. Those blasts, hit by Sam Antonacci and Munetaka Murakami, erased a 4-1 Yankees lead and tied the game.

Earlier in the evening, starter Cam Schlittler delivered a strong performance, holding the White Sox hitless through six-plus innings before tiring in the seventh. All four Yankees runs came early, highlighted by a three-run homer from Spencer Jones in the first inning.

The game’s turning point came in the 11th inning after the Yankees took a 5-4 lead on an Anthony Volpe sacrifice fly. With two outs and the winning run on third base—Murakami—the White Sox’s Ali Sánchez attempted a pickoff throw that went awry, allowing the runner to score from third and tie the game. Sánchez later acknowledged the error, calling it a “bad throw” and expressing a desire to correct it in hindsight. Yankees manager Aaron Boone stressed the importance of executing such plays, saying, “We got to play catch better.”

The Yankees had an opportunity to extend the lead in the 12th inning, loading the bases with one out but failing to produce any runs. White Sox relief pitcher Ryan Yarbrough, called on as the last available bullpen option, then delivered the game-winning blow, allowing a bloop single to Edgar Quero that fell in front of outfielder Trent Grisham, who appeared positioned deeper than usual.

The loss dropped the Yankees to 61-47 on the season and 1-7 in extra-inning games, putting them 2½ games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East division standings. The teams will continue their four-game series Thursday night.

Despite the bullpen’s difficulties, players and coaches emphasized the need to move forward. Blackburn expressed disappointment but remained optimistic, saying, “You just got to keep going, keep making your pitches.” Schlittler reflected on the loss, noting, “Some mental mistakes, but that’s baseball. It’s part of the game.”

As the trade deadline approaches, the Yankees may reassess their relief options to prevent further late-inning collapses while searching for more consistent offensive production to reduce pressure on their bullpen.