Yankees fall to Diamondbacks in walk-off loss as AL East hopes shrink

PHOENIX — On a night that began with the Diamondbacks honoring the 25th anniversary of their 2001 team that won the World Series against the Yankees, they paid tribute again a few hours later to deliver some more nightmares back in New York.It was by no means Luis Gonzalez versus Mariano Rivera, nor a bloop over a drawn-in infield.Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.

But it was a walk-off in the bottom of the ninth, with Pavin Smith belting a two-run shot off Michael Fulmer to sink the Yankees in a 5-3 loss to the Diamondbacks on Saturday night in front of 47,918 nostalgic fans at Chase Field.Three hours before first pitch here, multiple Yankees sat in the visiting clubhouse tuned into the Rays and Red Sox game with vested interest in the two teams surrounding them in the standings.The Rays eventually walked off with a 2-1 win, meaning they moved five games ahead of the Yankees (89-65) for first place in the American League East with eight games to play, while the Yankees remained 5 ¹/₂ games clear of the Red Sox for the top AL wild card.Likely AL Cy Young Award winner Cam Schlittler gave up more than one run for the first time since Aug.

3, with the Diamondbacks scratching across three runs against him — two of them unearned — across six innings.Two bunts and a brief lack of command opened the door just enough for the Diamondbacks to get to him, though Schlittler still finished the night with a 1.94 ERA across 190 ²/₃ innings this season, with one more start remaining in the regular season.The Yankees had a prime chance to break a scoreless game open in the top of the fifth inning, when they loaded the bases with one out against Diamondbacks right-hander Brandon Pfaadt.But manager Torey Lovullo, in a sign of how desperate his club is in trying to stay alive in the National League wild-card race, went to the bullpen for hard-throwing righty Justin ...