As Aaron Judge exited the lineup, it marked another worrying moment for the struggling Yankees. They didn’t manage to compensate for their key player’s absence.
Judge underwent an MRI on Saturday due to an elbow issue, and the Yankees have been without him since, dropping to a disappointing 3-5 after June 13, including a 14-23 record, and suffering a 9-4 defeat to the Phillies.
Newly acquired third baseman Ryan McMahon had a mixed debut, going 1-for-3 with two strikeouts after being traded from the Rockies, who currently hold the worst record in MLB.
“They put me in three positions and asked me to play baseball, which I feel pretty confident about,” McMahon stated before the game. “I’ll just go out there and do my best, whatever the team needs me to do.”
“I think I’m even more excited to be in this lineup. Looking from the other side, the Yankee lineup is pretty intimidating,” he added.
But it’s clear the Yankees’ offense feels less imposing without Judge. Phillies’ lefty Ranger Suarez held Yankees in check, allowing just one run across 5 2/3 innings.
Yankees starter Marcus Stroman, who had a solid ERA of 3.00 over his previous outings, struggled early. He allowed four runs in the first 3 2/3 innings before losing control in the fourth, issuing four walks. Trea Turner contributed to the score with an infield hit, prompting the Yankees to replace Stroman with Yerry de los Santos before the inning ended.
McMahon, who had led the National League with 127 strikeouts prior to the trade, faced a challenge with two runners on base in his second game, getting caught up against Suarez. However, Jasson Dominguez managed to get a hit and drive in a run.
Turner added another run for the Phillies with a double against de los Santos in the sixth inning.
The Phillies ultimately scored four runs off Alan Winans in one inning, capped by a two-run homer from Edmund Sosa, pushing the score to 9-1.
