The New York Yankees‘ game came to a screeching halt Thursday when severe thunderstorms were unleashed across the Big Apple and New Jersey.
The Pinstripes were up 7-4 against divisional rivals the Tampa Bay Rays in the fifth inning when a rain delay was called at around 2:40pm ET.
As of an hour later, the team had no further updates on when play could resume as the torrential downpour continued to pummel New York City and surrounding areas.
Despite the matchup taking place in the afternoon, the clouds over Yankee Stadium were almost pitch black, casting the ballpark in a near-apocalyptic darkness and forcing the floodlights to be switched on.
The suspension came amid warnings from meteorologists that up to seven inches of rain could fall through the evening.
Governor Kathy Hochul announced a state of emergency for multiple New York counties around 3:00pm ET, with the severe thunderstorms expected to unleash life-threatening flash flooding across the Tri-State area.
The New York Yankees were forced into a rain delay as thunderstorms rolled over the Bronx
Ominous darkness hung over Yankee Stadium as the torrential downpour pummel the Bronx
Gov. Hochul told residents to ‘stay vigilant, stay informed, and use caution as we expect excessive rainfall with the potential for flash flooding.’
The state of emergency covers the Bronx – home of Yankees Stadium – as well as Delaware, Dutchess, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster, Westchester, and contiguous counties.
Flood watches are in effect for New York City, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley through Friday afternoon.
In neighboring New Jersey a State of Emergency was also declared for all 21 counties, home to more than nine million residents.
The National Weather Service (NWS) warned there is up to a 70 percent chance of flash flooding in the East Coast states.
AccuWeather warned that flooding is expected from New York City and Philadelphia to Baltimore and Washington, DC. However, only New Jersey and New York have declared a State of Emergency.
The Yankees stormed into an early 6-0 lead, courtesy of Giancarlo Stanton’s two-run homer in the first inning and Ben Rice’s three-run homer in the second. Another run for the Yankees in the third ultimately made it a short afternoon for the Rays’ starter, Ryan Pepiot.
Yankees starter Marcus Stroman had pitched through the first three innings with ease before allowing four runs on five hits in the fourth. He pitched the fifth without allowing another.
A fan wearing an Aaron Judge jersey scrambles to pull on a poncho as the rain begins to fall
An eerie storm cloud looms over the Manhattan skyline as it threatens New York City
A slow-moving front and surge of moisture from the Gulf is bringing the heavy rainfall to the Northeast. AccuWeather warned that flooding is expected from New York City and Philadelphia to Baltimore and Washington, DC
The Pinstripes’ new arrival, outfield Austin Slater, was at the plate with one out, Jasson Dominguez on first and Jazz Chisholm Jr on third when the delay was called.
The Rays had lost three players to injury during the game. Chandler Simpson (wrist), Yandy Diaz (forearm contusion) and Jonathan Aranda (wrist) all exited the game.
There was some light at the end of the storm for Aaron Boone and co. Thursday as the Bronx Bombers finally reinforced their inconsistent bullpen ahead of this evening’s MLB trade deadline.
As ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported , the Bombers are acquiring closer David Bednar from the Pittsburgh Pirates pending a physical. Daily Mail has since confirmed this agreement with a Pirates spokesperson.
Bednar, 30, has been efficient for the struggling Pirates, posting a 2.37 earned-run average while allowing just 1.11 base runners per inning. The Butler County, Pennsylvania native is a two-time All-Star who led the National League in saves in 2023 after starting his successful career in San Diego.
And Yankees GM Brian Cashman wasn’t done there. He also acquired right-handed reliever Jake Bird from the Colorado Rockies for second baseman Roc Riggio and southpaw Ben Shields, as first reported by YES analyst Jack Curry. Bird has struggled in 2025, posting a 4.73 EA with 62 strikeouts in 51.1 innings of work.