The New York Yankees scored 13 runs in a single inning on Sunday. Against the Athletics. And somehow that’s not even the headline. The headline is that it still wasn’t enough to break a record that has been sitting in the history books since 1920.
Over a century old and still standing. You genuinely cannot make this stuff up.
What Actually Happened Out There
Top of the third inning. 43 minutes of pure Yankees chaos at the plate. 73 pitches faced, 11 hits, eight singles, four walks, two doubles, one triple — and not a single home run in the entire thing.
Thirteen runs scored through sheer relentless grinding, base hit after base hit, walk after walk, the Athletics’ pitching staff slowly falling apart at the seams. It was the kind of inning that makes opposing managers age ten years in real time.
And yet. The 1920 Yankees scored 15 runs in a single inning against the Washington Nationals. That record needed two more runs to tie and two more to break. The 2026 version came up just short.
The Cruel Historical Context
This is only the second time in franchise history the Yankees have scored 13 runs in a single inning. The last time was back in June 2005 — eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays, eventually winning 20-11. A completely unhinged scoreline that belongs in a video game, not a real baseball game.
And speaking of the Rays — last season the Yankees tied a franchise record by hitting nine home runs in a single game. Also against the Rays. There’s clearly something about that matchup that brings out the absolutely ridiculous in New York.
Where The Yankees Stand Right Now
Sunday’s explosion of runs pushes New York to fourth in runs scored this season with 305 — sitting behind the Washington Nationals, Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers who lead the pack with 313.
On the standings front the Yankees headed into Sunday at 35-23, sitting two games behind division rivals the Tampa Bay Rays who sit at 36-20 atop the American League East.
So Close Yet So Far
Here’s the thing that will quietly eat at Yankees fans for a while — 13 runs in one inning without hitting a single home run is actually an extraordinary display of disciplined, aggressive batting. Most teams can’t do that in an entire game let alone a single inning.
But baseball is a sport that loves its records and its history. And the 1920 Yankees are still sitting up there untouched, unbothered, watching their descendants fall two runs short of catching them.
Maybe next time. Probably also against the Rays. ⚾🔥
