The Yankees’ latest losing streak reached four games on Friday, as they dropped an ugly, 5-3 ballgame to the rival Red Sox in the Bronx.
The Bombers took a 3-1 lead into the ninth inning, but Masataka Yoshida erased that with a two-run homer off of Clay Holmes. Ceddanne Rafaela then crushed a two-run blast to Monument Park with Tommy Kahnle on the mound in the 10th inning.
Ceddanne Rafaela’s 2-run tank gives the @RedSox the lead in extras! pic.twitter.com/lenDIFAVhA
— MLB (@MLB) July 6, 2024
Before the late theatrics, both teams played a terrible game.
Boston botched a few double plays in the series opener. The most significant example came in the fourth inning when second baseman Enmanuel Valdez made a poor throw after fielding an Austin Wells grounder with one out.
The error gave the Yankees their first run.
With the bases loaded, Anthony Volpe then drew his first walk since June 22. Trent Grisham got the Yankees a third run with a groundout before the inning ended.
The Red Sox messed up another potential double play in the fifth, but nothing came of it.
Boston’s failed attempt at turning two in the third inning drew more attention, as DJ LeMahieu did not hustle on what initially looked like a routine play. He only beat a throw to first base after a Valdez bobble, a takeout slide from Grisham and a double-clutch from Rafaela.
Looked like DJ LeMahieu assumed this would be a routine double play so he barely beat this out pic.twitter.com/EWBf73O7Fi
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) July 6, 2024
The Yankees then immediately cost themselves a run with their own double play blunder.
Upon fielding a Ben Rice grounder, Red Sox first baseman Romy Gonzalez stepped on first for a force out. He then threw to second, where Rafaela tagged a lumbering LeMahieu, whose minimal attempts at evasion fell flat. Meanwhile, Volpe watched the play unfold as he jogged his way home from third and failed to cross the plate in time.
Short on hustle and fundamentals, the Bombers shot themselves in the foot following a 38-minute rain delay.
Anthony Volpe enjoying the double play so his run doesn’t count. pic.twitter.com/Bz7nmjr6Mo
— Boston Strong (@BostonStrong_34) July 6, 2024
The Yankees had another careless moment in Thursday’s loss to the Reds when Trent Grisham repeatedly fumbled a single to center. Given the way the flailing Yankees have played lately, Aaron Boone called the mishap “a bad look.”
On Friday, Austin Wells and Luke Weaver added to the slop with errors in the eighth.
The Yankees’ lackluster performance spoiled six strong innings from Nestor Cortes. The lefty totaled three hits, one earned run, one walk and eight strikeouts over 97 pitches.
Meanwhile, Tanner Houck didn’t deliver his best start as he eyes an All-Star selection. The Yankees chased the righty shortly after the rain delay; he lasted just 3.1 innings while tallying two hits, three runs (1 earned), four walks, one strikeout and 68 pitches.
The Yankees and Red Sox will try to play a cleaner game on Saturday afternoon. Gerrit Cole would certainly appreciate that in his fourth start of the season. Boston’s scheduled starter, Josh Winckowski surely would as well.
Torres exits early
One Yankee who did hustle on Friday was Gleyber Torres, as he ran out an infield single to load the bases in the fourth before the pinstripers started scoring. Unfortunately for Torres, he reaggravated his lingering right groin injury and immediately came out of the game.
The Yankees described the injury as tightness. A potentially encouraging sign: Torres didn’t plan on undergoing imaging after being examined by a team doctor.
Torres exited the Yankees’ game on June 20 with the same injury. The tweak has come up a few times since then, including when Torres failed to hustle against the Mets on June 25.