NEW YORK AP - Perhaps nobody was happier the Yankees won Wednesday night than catcher Austin Wells, after his embarrassing mental lapse on the bases cost New York an opportunity in the ninth inning.
"I think I just was being an idiot," he said.
Anthony Volpe hit a tying homer off Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks with one out in the ninth, then Wells singled and advanced to second base when Trent Grisham tried to bunt for a hit.
Grisham was thrown out at first for the second out and credited with a sacrifice. Wells, however, thought the inning was over and wandered off the bag. He got tagged in a rundown for the third out, sending a back-and-forth game to extra innings as fans in the Yankee Stadium crowd of 45,355 groaned.
"He thought there were three outs," New York manager Aaron Boone said. "Obviously, can't happen. With the base coaches we say the right thing. We go through with the pitcher, their time to the plate and number of outs. What do you say? Can't happen."