In the first inning, Luis Severino faced seven pitches, leading the Yankees to three hits and one run before recording an out.
However, over the next 153 pitches, delivered by Severino and four relievers, the Yankees struggled to find their rhythm. They registered 27 outs and managed just one additional hit, which came from Amed Rosario’s single in the fourth, later turned into a double play.
During the season’s early days, the Yankees were adept at timely hitting, a crucial skill that seemed to vanish that night.
On Wednesday, with 38,147 chilled fans in attendance in the Bronx, the Yankees’ offense faltered against the cold. This put undue strain on their bullpen, culminating in a 3-2 loss to the Athletics following a late-game hit allowed by David Bednar.
“It’s just baseball,” stated JC Escala. “We’ve had plenty of good offensive games. Today wasn’t one of them.”
The Yankees, currently 8-3, faced close losses, all by just one run. They’ll be aiming to take the rubber match on Thursday, a potential fourth series win for the team.
Bednar, who had delivered effectively the previous night, couldn’t replicate that performance. After solid outings from Tim Hill, Camilo Doval, and Brent Hedrick, he allowed a single to Nick Kurtz, followed by a double from Shea Langeliers, allowing a sacrifice fly from Brent Rooker to score the crucial run.
Bednar’s earlier struggles might be attributed to the fatigue from his time at the World Baseball Classic.
“I think once he gets into a rhythm, he’ll be fine,” manager Aaron Boone remarked about the closer, despite his recent issues.
The offensive silence was evident, particularly from players ranked 4th through 9th, who managed just 1 hit out of 20 at-bats.
Ben Rice had a tough game going 0-for-4 with four strikeouts, while Ryan McMahon was also struggling at 0-for-3 with one walk and two strikeouts, drawing some boos from the crowd for contributing to a double play.
“Mac is a good major league hitter,” Boone said of McMahon, expressing some optimism. “There are still 10 games left. He’ll get it together.”
Back in the first inning, the Yankees started strong, scoring quickly thanks to three hits including a line drive from Cody Bellinger. They loaded the bases before Escala’s walk forced in another run.
However, Rosario struck out Severino with the bases loaded on his 32nd pitch, stalling the Yankees’ momentum.
“We had a chance to strike early, but just couldn’t capitalize,” Boone commented on their 1-for-6 performance with runners in scoring position and the inning-ending double plays they hit into.
Although Severino struggled at times, he held firm when facing tough situations, striking out Aaron Judge and Rice after walking Trent Grisham in the fifth inning.
“He’s got great stuff and stays composed,” said Boone, speaking highly of Severino.
Will Warren had a less than stellar outing, giving up two runs over 4.3 innings. His first runs allowed came during a two-out rally from the Athletics in the fourth.
Ultimately, the Yankees’ best chance came late in the game during the seventh inning, when Bellinger, battling at the plate, couldn’t manage to convert.
“We just couldn’t get that breakthrough,” Boone summarized their struggle against the Athletics.
