Yankees Struggle in Recent Series
The Yankees’ ace isn’t performing like one anymore.
Their offense has been particularly quiet lately, managing just 20 runs over the last eight games, with no scores in the sixth inning on Sunday.
Throughout the game, a series of unfortunate plays made what could have been a competitive matchup turn ugly.
While waiting for the results from around the league, the Yankees found themselves six games behind the Blue Jays in the division, although they still held a wild card spot due to the Guardians’ loss.
On a sunny afternoon in the Bronx, 43,658 fans watched what unfolded, though it wasn’t quite what they had hoped for.
The Yankees faced their third consecutive series loss, falling 7-1 to the Astros, with a shaky outing from Max Fried contributing to their troubles.
It’s clear—this team (62-56) is in dire need of a change.
They’ve lacked a reliable stopper since their early-season pitching struggles spiraled into a full-blown problem.
Fried allowed four runs in five innings, giving up eight hits. Just a few months ago, he sported a 1.92 ERA, but now he’s struggling with a 6.00 ERA over his last seven starts.
He started off poorly, giving up a homer to Jose Altuve in the first inning, and then another run when a double play attempt went awry, thanks to a misplay by Jackson Dominguez.
In that same inning, with two outs, Fried faced a tense situation as the Astros loaded the bases. Cam Smith stepped up to hit a pitch that, remarkably, appeared to be a strike—at least, to everyone except the home plate umpire, Derek Thomas, who had already tossed manager Aaron Boone from the game.
Fried threw what looked like a sinker to Smith, who managed to hit a double into the right-field corner, extending the score to 4-0 in what felt like a swift punch to the gut for the Yankees.
Their best offensive opportunity came in the seventh inning against the Astros’ bullpen. Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Giancarlo Stanton each recorded singles, and Anthony Volpe drew a walk to load the bases with one out. However, the Astros turned to Brian Abreu, who managed to hold them back, as Wells’ at-bat ended in a quick out after a sacrifice fly.
It was a day marked by the Yankees’ struggle for hits, especially against Jason Alexander, who entered the game with a 5.97 ERA. He almost tossed a no-hitter, with only Rice breaking the silence before Judge quickly ended the inning with a double play.
Judge’s absence from the lineup has been felt acutely. His recent performances have dropped significantly—he’s had 43 at-bats with only two home runs and 17 strikeouts over 13 games, leading to intense frustration.
The Yankees really seem to be stuck, with a palpable lack of momentum permeating the team.
This season has been riddled with mistakes, but the ninth inning was particularly tough to watch. In a moment that summed up their struggles, as Houston scored three more runs, a simple catch that should have been routine was mishandled, allowing Altuve to score from third.
