The Yankees made an important trade, aiming to strengthen their lineup, yet they haven’t been able to get back to winning ways even before Ryan McMahon’s arrival.
In their latest game, the Yankees made a couple more mistakes, including an error that contributed to a run for the Phillies, and the bullpen allowed ten runs in the closing three innings, resulting in a 12-5 defeat, which puts them 5½ games behind the Blue Jays in the AL East.
They started out strong, leading 3-2 after Giancarlo Stanton hit a solo home run. However, things quickly unraveled when an error involving first baseman Paul Goldschmidt on an infield single by Nick Castellanos let a run score.
Luke Weaver took over for Tim Hill, but JT Realmuto hit a three-run homer, giving the Phillies a 6-3 advantage.
Despite the setbacks, the Yankees managed to score two runs thanks to a sacrifice fly from Anthony Volpe, along with a solo shot from Aaron Judge.
Yet, Kyle Schwarber countered with a two-run homer off Ian Hamilton, putting the Phillies’ lead at three runs again. To make matters worse, Scott Efross gave up four more runs in the ninth, much to the frustration of the Bronx crowd.
Starter Will Warren had a mixed performance, bouncing back from a tough outing in Atlanta to strike out seven batters over five innings while allowing two runs.
Cody Bellinger and Austin Wells also hit solo home runs, but the Yankees, now 56-47, have slipped to a 14-22 record since mid-June.
Bellinger kicked things off with a home run in the first inning against Phillies starter Taijuan Walker, marking his sixth homer in nine games, which is quite the impressive run.
Wells then followed up with his own homer on a 1-0 pitch, bringing his season total to 15—two more than he hit during his rookie year.
Before the game, manager Boone expressed hope that adding McMahon would enhance both offense and defense for the struggling team.
He acknowledged the need for the Yankees to “tighten up” defensively after a string of errors, noting that they were tied for the league lead with 52 errors (now 54) before the game.
“It needs to be one of our strengths,” Boone said, mentioning how they need to capitalize on McMahon’s arrival for both him and Anthony to contribute consistently.
Warren faced some pressure as well, making errors count both for him and the team, but he managed to navigate through some tough spots, especially with strikeouts against Otto Kemp and Bryson Stott.
Eventually, the Phillies tied the game in the fifth inning thanks to Schwarber’s home run. Stanton then put the Yankees back in front with a two-run blast, giving them a fleeting lead of 3-2 in the sixth.
