COMMENTARY
read 11-3 instead of 11-2.
In those rare times when the Yankees put runners on base, many of them were wiped out by double plays. The Braves turned seven of those. And, in a boneheaded move that epitomized a season lost, Harrison Bader was picked off first with his team trailing by six runs in the series opener.
In Atlanta, the Yankees got a first-hand look at the team they want to be and just how far away they are from that goal.
“I’ve gotta give love to the Braves,” acclaimed director Spike Lee, a Yankees fan who was at Truist Park for the beatdown, told Bally Sports South in an interview from his seat. “They’re the best team in baseball. They’re kicking our butts.”
Throw in a dismal season by the neighboring New York Mets, and it’s truly been a lost year for the national pastime in the Big Apple.
The Yankees have certainly dealt with more than their share of injuries, most notably a toe issue that sidelined Judge, the reigning AL MVP, for nearly two months and is still thwarting him from being at his best. Stanton also missed significant time with a hamstring issue and has struggled mightily since returning, his average (.201) hovering around the Mendoza Line.
Then there’s Anthony Rizzo, who’s out with concussion-related symptoms that won’t seem to go away, and 37-year-old Josh Donaldson, who’s been hurt most of the season and barely played at all.
A year ago, when the Yankees claimed 99 wins and the AL
East title, that quartet combined for 140 homers (including a league-record 62 by Judge ) and 346 RBIS. This season, they’ve totaled 62 dingers and 146 RBIS.
The pitching hasn’t been much better outside of Gerrit Cole. Two-time All-star Luis Severino can’t seem to get anyone out in the first inning, leaving him with just two wins and an ERA hovering around 8.00. Domingo German checked into alcohol rehab and won’t pitch again this season.
Embattled manager Aaron Boone, whose job security seems more precarious by the day, insists that the Yankees aren’t throwing in the towel on the season.
“A quarter of a season left. We’ve got to keep working to try to figure it out,” he said. “It doesn’t always go the way you script it or hope, but you’ve got to keep fighting.”
Brave words from the skipper, but there’s nothing to suggest a stunning turnaround is imminent.
Since the end of June, the Yankees are 15-25 and have just one series victory out of 13 tries, that being a sweep of the lowly Kansas City Royals nearly a month ago.
“The game is still littered with examples of teams going on unlikely runs,” Boone insisted. “I get it. It looks bleak and I don’t want to even suggest that we’re in a position to even talk about a streak like that. We’ve got to fix our own house and get going. But there’s a lot of season left, too, and we’ve got to look at it that way.”