June Tuesdays in the Bronx could be better. Last week, the Yankees faced off against Cleveland and it wasn’t pretty.
Aaron Judge had to sit out the first game of the season due to a bone bruise on his right shoulder, which was only discovered the day before. Cam Schlitter, a candidate for the American League Cy Young Award, had perhaps his worst outing yet, which didn’t help matters.
The Yankees ended up losing the game 9-4. This was part of a troubling trend, as they’ve now dropped nine of 12 games against teams with a winning record, and their bullpen is in desperate need of help.
Interestingly, the Yankees had entered the game riding a wave of momentum, having won six of their last seven. They were even leading the AL Central Division despite being one of the lowest-spending teams in the league, with a payroll of just $88 million.
Throughout the game, Cleveland’s pitching staff outperformed the Yankees consistently. After the Yankees managed to score four runs against starter Joey Cantillo in his four innings, they were effectively silenced by the Guardians’ bullpen.
Schlitter’s rough start was glaring, giving up five runs (four earned) in just over four innings, which set the tone. He began strong, retiring the first seven batters, but the turning point came when light-hitting Patrick Bailey tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly.
Later, the Yankees managed to take the lead. Ben Rice got a single, and Paul Goldschmidt, who came into the game with an impressive OPS against left-handers, hit a two-run homer, giving the Yankees a brief 2-1 advantage.
But Golschmidt’s success didn’t seem to help Schlitter. In the fourth inning, Jose Ramirez evened the score with a double, and soon after, the Yankees found themselves down again after another home run.
Things went from bad to worse. Schlitter continued to struggle, and the Guardians capitalized on the situation. With the bases loaded, a sacrifice fly from Travis Bazana tied the game. Ramirez pushed Cleveland ahead again with another double.
The Yankees dealt with further setbacks from Cleveland in the seventh inning. Despite trying to hold them back, a series of hits allowed the Guardians to extend their lead to 6-4.
They attempted to rally in the eighth, but a pop-out and a mishap at the plate contributed to ending the inning on a sour note.
Ultimately, Camilo Doval’s three-run double sealed Cleveland’s victory, further complicating the Yankees’ already troubled season.
