Once he was 28 games over .500, the Yankees lost 18 of their final 26 first-half games and entered the All-Star break with a much-needed chance to hit the reset button.
After winning the first match of the second half on Friday by 6-1 victory Against the Rays, New York (59-42) has lost two straight games to Tampa Bay (50-49), following Saturday’s 9-1 loss. failure with Sunday’s 6-4 loss and restart an all too familiar trend.
In Sunday’s loss, the Yankees did not score until Judge AaronThe solo homer in the seventh inning put New York on the board 3-1 with one out.
But the spark that could have come from Judge’s MLB-leading 35th homer and 89th RBI failed to materialize for the Yankees, who went 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base.
Judge and Juan Sotowhich followed Judge’s 2-for-4 afternoon with a 3-for-5 day that included a ninth-inning RBI double, wasn’t enough as the Yankees enter Monday’s 1:05 p.m. finale looking for a 2-2 series split.
“I don’t have any weight on me,” Judge said. “I’ve got good guys behind me. It’s baseball. You’re going to go through some ups and downs, and you’re going to adjust a little bit, but there are months where other guys are going to carry this team and there are months where I have to stand up and carry the team, and it’s all part of it.
“But I can’t think about anything else but what I have to do: if I have to get on base for the player behind me, push the players when they’re there. I just try to keep it as simple as possible and forget about everything else.”
right handed Marcus Stromanwho allowed three runs (two earned) and five hits (two homers) while striking out five on 87 pitches (62 strikes) in 5.1 IP, put his lack of run support in perspective.
“It’s hard to be amazing at 162,” said Stroman, who is 7-5 with a 3.51 ERA in 20 starts in the 2024 season. “I think we’re very confident … in how good (Soto) has been all year, him and Judge. I think we’re losing sight of how incredible those two guys have been.”
“They can’t do everything, every single time. We can’t put all the pressure on them. But yeah, it’s been tough. It’s been difficult. There’s been a little bit of a dip. But like I said, I think it’s going to turn around in our favour soon.”
With the Baltimore Orioles’ 3-2 loss to the Texas Rangers, the Yankees are still two games behind the O’s (60-39) for first place in the American League East Division.
“This game is tough for us right now and we have to find a way,” the Yankees manager said. Aaron Boone“We know we’re better than this and we have to come prepared and save a series tomorrow.”