UPDATE: The New York Yankees suffered a devastating 12-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox on August 26, 2023, at Yankee Stadium, deepening their struggles against their archrivals this season. This marks the Yankees’ eighth consecutive defeat to Boston, leaving them with a dismal 1-8 record against the Red Sox this year.
The Yankees’ woes escalated in a game that began with Cy Young candidate Garrett Crochet dominating for seven innings, allowing no runs and striking out 11 batters. The home crowd’s frustration boiled over, culminating in loud boos as the Yankees watched a disastrous seven-run ninth inning unfold. With this loss, the Yankees now stand at 4-15 against the top two teams in the American League East, including a 3-7 record against the first-place Toronto Blue Jays.
“We all know that,” said Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton, expressing the sentiment in the locker room. “It’s unacceptable.” The Yankees entered this four-game series against Boston on a high, having won seven of their last eight games. Now, they find themselves 1.5 games behind the Red Sox in the race for the top American League Wild Card spot.
Star player Aaron Judge, limited to designated hitter due to an elbow injury, expressed his disappointment. “We’re definitely — I can only speak for myself — [I’m] definitely angry,” Judge stated. “Especially against your rivals, don’t like the showing we’ve had here at home.” He called for the team to step up, emphasizing, “Everyone in this room’s gotta play a little bit better.”
The Yankees’ offensive struggles were glaring, as they managed only five runs across the three-game series against Boston, a stark contrast to their prior dominance with 14 home runs in a two-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays. On Friday, Red Sox pitcher Brayan Bello held the Yankees scoreless for seven innings, leading to a tight 1-0 victory. Saturday mirrored that performance, with Crochet replicating Bello’s success.
The Yankees’ rookie pitcher, Will Warren, could not contain the Red Sox lineup, yielding five runs on seven hits over just four-plus innings. Despite being down 5-1, the Yankees had a chance to rally in the eighth inning, but Stanton and Jazz Chisholm Jr. struck out with runners on the corners, stymieing any momentum.
The Red Sox then exploded for seven runs in the ninth against right-hander Paul Blackburn, who had just joined the Yankees. His outing took a turn for the worse, highlighted by a throwing error from Anthony Volpe and a balk that allowed a run to score. The inning ended with Blackburn struggling to secure the final out, drawing sarcastic cheers from the few remaining fans.
“It’s really crappy. We gotta get past it,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. “We can sit here and dwell on it. We gotta play better against these quality opponents in our division.”
With the Yankees looking to avoid a four-game series sweep on Sunday, the pressure mounts. The team has no choice but to regroup and refocus on the next game, aiming to turn this troubling trend around before it jeopardizes their playoff hopes.
Fans and analysts alike will be watching closely as the Yankees attempt to break free from this alarming slump against their most bitter rival.