The return of Giancarlo Stanton didn’t help the Yankees’ struggling offense.
Honestly, the team just looked off.
Even with some heavy hitters back in the lineup, the Yankees suffered one of their worst defeats this season, falling 1-0 to the underperforming Angels.
The offensive woes that plagued them in Boston over the weekend were still evident at home, where they failed to capitalize on opportunities in this disappointing game.
The Yankees were shut out for the second consecutive game, going scoreless for over 20 innings and managing only five runs in their last 49. That’s a troubling trend.
With runners in scoring position, they struggled mightily, with Anthony Volpe left stranded to end the game.
Now, they’ve lost four straight, and the Rays have cut their lead in the AL East to just 2½ games.
Nolan Chanuel was the one who drove in the only run, a hit that broke the bat of Yankees pitcher Jonathan Roashga.
Stanton had a solid start, hitting a double down the left-field line in his first game back, but the inning fell apart quickly. Jazz Chisholm Jr. was thrown out, and a collision between pinch runner Jasson Dominguez and third baseman Luis Rengifo resulted in another out, making it the Yankees’ 18th consecutive inning without scoring.
Clark Schmidt delivered a strong performance on the mound, extending his scoreless streak to 18⅓ innings, though he didn’t earn a decision.
This was one of the longest outings for a Yankees starting pitcher this season—comparable to Max Fried’s 7⅔ innings against the Rays back in April.
Schmidt was in control, allowing only four hits and striking out three, while throwing 101 pitches throughout the night.
His night started strong but hit a bump when he allowed singles to two of the first three batters. After that, he settled in, retiring the next 16 batters until Chanuel got a couple of hits in the sixth.
The Yankees managed to make solid contact only a few times, with the standout being Jorge Soler, whose drive almost went over the right-field fence, but generally, it was a quiet night offensively.
Schmidt didn’t issue any walks, marking the first time a right-handed pitcher accomplished that this season; he used only 60 pitches to navigate through the first five innings.
In the eighth, Christian Moore, a rookie, hit a triple, which brought an end to Schmidt’s impressive night. Fernando Cruz came in and faced some challenges but managed to keep the Angels scoreless.
Devin Williams also pitched a scoreless ninth, adding to his strong recent performances, though he ran into trouble, giving up a couple of singles.
The Yankees had some early opportunities but couldn’t convert, with Bellinger and Stanton failing to score after the team got back-to-back singles from Ben Rice and Aaron Judge.
Chisholm struggled by grounding out in the second, and despite a hit in the seventh, it was clear that the rest of the lineup, including Austin Wells and DJ LeMahieu, were still quiet.
