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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The worn-out expression on Aaron Boone’s face said it all. He’d been going through hell — or July. Same thing, actually.
The Yankees, losers of 10 of their last 12, are making history at Tropicana Field, just not the kind they want. A 6-4 defeat to the Rays on Tuesday was bad enough, dropping the Yankees to four games behind Tampa Bay.
It’s the wave of strikeouts that represents a deeper problem.
The same Yankees lineup that was top-ranked in the American League in April and May has collapsed in spectacular fashion. The Yankees have struck out 34 times in the series’ first two games – 17 apiece. It marks a franchise worst, with no end in sight.
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Boone tried his best to address his team’s futility. But he failed to come up with a satisfying answer.
“We have to do a better job of putting the ball in play,” was the essence of Boone’s response during the post-game press conference.
Several questions later, round two sounded like this:
“We’ve got some guys who are clearly going through (slumps) … and coupled with, we’re facing good pitching,” Boone said. “But at the end of the day, we’ve got to find a way offensively, especially when it’s challenging.”
Boone must know those answers won’t fly with fans, who have witnessed an extended regression that’s raised fears of a repeat of 2023, when the Yankees failed to make the playoffs.
Slumps are slumps. They happen to every team, every season. But this one feels particularly awful.
The Yankees have failed to score more than five runs in 19 straight games. Of course, the offense misses Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. But the real saboteurs have been the blizzard of swings and misses.
Paul Goldschmidt, who struck out in his final three at-bats on Monday, added four more Ks on Tuesday.
Jose Caballero, who was the hero with two home runs in Monday’s 5-1 victory over the Rays, vanished 24 hours later. He, too, struck out in all four at-bats on Tuesday.
The only bright spot was Ben Rice’s three-hit game, including a three-run HR in the third inning that gave the Yankees a brief 3-2 lead.
But starter Will Warren, who surrendered six runs, including three home runs, was no match for opposing pitcher Ian Seymour. The Rays’ left-hander struck out 12 in 5 1/3 innings. Four Rays relievers gave up one run in the final 3 2/3 innings — and five more strikeouts.
Warren said “it sucks” to have squandered the momentum from Monday’s win. But the burden wasn’t entirely his.
Even before the 34-K binge at the hands of the Rays, the Yankees had already struck out 184 times since mid-June, the most in the majors in that span. This season, the Yankees have whiffed in 23.9% of their at-bats, putting them in the league’s bottom third.
Those metrics are a damning indictment against a team that considers itself a World Series contender. But it’s more than just numbers. It’s the perception of the Yankees’ vulnerability that emboldens opponents.
After all, nothing makes an opposing pitcher feel as powerful as a swing and miss. It’s like dunking on a defender in the NBA.
The Yankees have looked lost so often they’ve lost count — literally.
“I knew we had 17 (on Monday) I didn’t know we had that many tonight,” said Cody Bellinger. “That’s a lot of strikeouts. Tampa’s got some of the better arms in the game … we just have to come out (on Wednesday) and win a game.”
Goldschmidt’s problems are more troubling than his seven-strikeout streak. He’s hitless in his last 30 at-bats, which raises questions about a player who’ll be 39 in two months.
“The performance tonight was terrible,” Goldschmidt said, before adding, “I wish I had a simple answer. I’m probably swinging at too many balls, taking too many strikes, and when I do swing at the right pitch, I’m fouling it off.
“Or swinging and missing.”
Goldschmidt’s failures couldn’t have come at a worse time for a clubhouse leader second only to Judge in respect from teammates.
Watching a team leader struggle repeatedly demoralizes other players. The same goes for Bellinger, who was thrown out taking a wide turn around first base after a single to right in the sixth inning.
The mental lapse short-circuited a potential rally. Bellinger admitted his poor judgment was a “bad mistake” and “really unacceptable.”
It was also a sign that the Yankees have lost their rudder. Bellinger is arguably the most complete, heads-up player in the room. Goldschmidt is a former MVP. If both are mentally and perhaps physically shot, who’s left to rescue the Yankees?
It can’t be Judge. He’s at least a month away from recovering from a fractured rib.
It’s probably not Rice. He’s only in his second full season, too young for clubhouse leadership.
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It’s definitely not Boone. He’s a consensus builder better suited to steadying a team than steering it out of crisis.
What about general manager Brian Cashman? He can try to pull off a monster trade by the Aug. 3 deadline. But for now, the Yankees are on their own.
It’s not a comforting thought for a team with October plans. At this rate, getting through July will be hellish enough.
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