Postseason Hopes Dwindling As Yankees Complete Tough Schedule Stretch

The Yankees played the Astros tough for four games, but in the end they managed only a split in a series that they easily could have won because it’s not like Houston was any great shakes. At 58-54, time is running out and unless they have a “rally in their bones” it feels like the playoffs are a myth at this point.

A week and a half ago, having won four of five games against the lowly Royals and Mets, the Yankees were six games over .500 and hanging around on the periphery of the race for the third and final wild-card spot in the American League playoffs, 2.5 games behind the Blue Jays.

But after beating the Mets on July 26 - the only time in the six starts Carlos Rodon has made where he was even competent - the Yankees entered into a critical part of their schedule, one that was very likely going to determine where this season was going to end up.

They had to run through a gauntlet that included three of the four best teams in the AL - three games at Baltimore, then three at home against Tampa Bay and four at home against Houston. Undeniably, it was a 10-game buzz saw, but this was a chance to make a statement, to let us know that they could turn their season around. Instead, the Yankees handled it pretty close to the way I figured they would.

They lost two of three to the Orioles, two of three to the Rays, and despite finding a way to split with the Astros, that adds up to 4-6. They have fallen 4.5 games behind the Blue Jays and with 50 games left in the season, their playoff chances have dwindled considerably.

And here’s the thing: These 10 games proved one thing, though I think we already knew this: The Yankees aren’t championship caliber in any way. They’re a mediocre team at best and their season record against the best teams in the AL, the teams they’d be up against in the postseason, is the definitive proof.

There are four teams that are basically mortal locks to make the AL playoffs: The Orioles, Rays, Rangers and Astros, while the Twins are the best bet to get in as the winner of the weak sister AL Central. The Yankees are 2-2 against the Astros (all four games at home), 3-4 against the Rangers, 4-6 against the Rays, 6-7 against the Orioles, and 3-4 against the Twins.

That’s right, they do not lead in any season series against those five teams (18-23 combined), so how can we believe that they’ll be able to get on a roll and qualify for the postseason, let alone do damage once they’re in?

As I said the other day, as aggravating as it will be to miss out on October baseball, maybe that will be the best thing for this franchise. Maybe it will slap Hal Steinbrenner awake and he’ll start making changes that have been needed for at least a couple years now.

Then again, what am I thinking? As long as the Steinbrenner empire is raking in its mega millions, does it really care about changing anything? I’m not holding my breath and I fully expect that we’ll be watching Aaron Boone fill out goofy lineup cards, mismanage games while blowing his bubbles, then listening to his nonsensical press conferences for years to come.

Man, this has just been a soul-crushing season for Yankees fans, and sadly, it feels like with all these aging players on unmovable contracts, we’re in for more suffering in the near future.

Here are my observations on the four games against the Astros.

Aug. 3: Yankees 4, Astros 3

➤ Even on a night that should have been pleasant - beating the hated Astros in a game that felt a little like October - the Yankees added more folly to an absurd week. On the heels of the trade deadline nothingness, and Domingo German leaving the team to treat his alcohol problem, Anthony Rizzo was placed on the injured list with a concussion that the team doctors apparently have mis-diagnosed since it happened on May 28 against the Padres when he banged his head into Fernando Tatis’ hip.

➤ Rizzo admitted that he hasn’t felt right which goes a long way to explaining why he’s been one of the worst hitters in all of MLB since then. With all the concern over concussions in sports these days, how could the Yankees’ medical team have botched this so badly? It’s inexcusable. Rizzo is the one who actually went to the team and asked for medical help. Of course, it would have been nice if Rizzo had done this two months ago, not only for his own health, but for the team. I get wanting to grind through it, but as he has done so he has hurt the Yankees terribly by resembling a black hole in the lineup. Just a bad look in every way possible, but this is becoming commonplace with the Yankees this year.

➤ As for the game, stunning would be the word I’d use for the fact that Astros starter Cristian Javier gave up three runs in the first inning on a two-run bomb by Giancarlo Stanton and a solo shot by Billy McKinney. Before this he had pitched four times against the Yankees and allowed one earned run in 20 innings. He needed 35 pitches in the first inning and was out of the game in the fifth after 102 pitches. I didn’t expect that.

➤ Of course, it’s not like the Yankees hit the cover off the ball. They ended up with only five hits. However, a big one came in the sixth and it won the game. Harrison Bader drew a two-out walk against Kendall Graveman, stole second, and was able to score on Anthony Volpe’s opposite-field line drive single to right that broke a 3-3 tie.

➤ Clarke Schmidt was good again, though he only made it through five innings. He gave up two runs (both in the second) on four hits and a walk but lost his chance for the victory when Wandy Peralta served up a solo homer to Kyle Tucker leading off the sixth that tied it at 3-3. It was the first extra-base hit Peralta has allowed to a left-handed batter all season. Thereafter, another excellent job by the bullpen as Michael King, Tommy Kahnle and Clay Holmes shut out the Astros the rest of the way. King got a huge double play ball in the seventh, and Kahnle mowed down the dangerous trio of Tucker, Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez in the eighth.

BOX SCORE

Aug. 4: Astros 7, Yankees 3

➤ This may very well have been Luis Severino’s last start as a New York Yankee because finally, based on Boone’s comments afterward when he was asked if it’s time to send Sevy to the bullpen, he said, “Everything’s on the table.” It has to happen because it has become impossible for this offensively-challenged team to win a Sevy start when it starts every game in a massive hole. After giving up a three-run homer to Yainer Diaz, his first-inning ERA is now over 13.00 while his overall ERA is 7.74. The Yankees are 3-8 in Sevy starts since June.

➤ “I’m not going to lie, every time I give up a homer or a run in the first inning, (I think) ‘Jesus Christ, what am I doing?’” Severino said. “I start looking at different stuff. Is this mechanical, is this tipping?” He gave up a leadoff double to the most hated man in New York, Jose Altuve, got two outs, but then walked Tucker and Diaz followed with his bomb to right. It was a crusher. In the second inning, Sevy was again terrible. Two walks and a single loaded the bases and then he hit Bregman with a pitch to force in a run. Incredibly, he retired Alvarez and Tucker to keep it at 4-0, but as we know, the game was already over. Before he exited, Sevy gave up a solo homer to Alvarez leading off the fifth, and then later, Tucker tacked on a two-out, two-run double in the sixth when Albert Abreu and Nick Ramirez made a mess of things.

➤ The offense came courtesy of three solo homers by Jake Bauers, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Stanton. Of course they were solo, because no one can ever get on base and make these homers impactful.

➤ A big moment came in the bottom of the first. Down 3-0, the Yankees looked like they were going to answer against Astros starter Hunter Brown. Bauers and Gleyber Torres singled and with two outs, McKinney hit a shot to left-center that seemed destined to be a two-run double. Instead, center fielder Jake Meyers made an amazing catch at the warning track to end the inning, and it was like the bubble burst right there. Who knows what happens if that ball falls. Maybe nothing. But it was a dagger for sure.

➤ It was nice to see Stanton finally doing something. Through Friday he had 10 homers and 22 RBI in his last 21 games. Would have been nice if he had shown up for the first 3 ½ months - especially during the nearly two months Aaron Judge was out - but hey, better late than never. Of course, his weekend took a turn for the worse in the final two games.

BOX SCORE

Aug. 5: Yankees 3, Astros 1

➤ The return of Nestor Cortes was outstanding. Making his first start since May 30, Cortes pitched four innings (of course, there was a pitch count and he only threw 64) and he gave up just one hit, a solo homer by the pain in the ass gnat, Altuve. Otherwise, one walk and eight strikeouts. I wasn’t expecting much from Cortes in this game, but he really surprised me with how sharp he was.

➤ After that, the bullpen was great yet again. Ian Hamilton, Kahnle, King and Holmes covered five innings and allowed just one hit, three walks and no runs. Can you imagine where this team would be without this bullpen? I know they’re pretty much nowhere, but they’d be a whole lot further out of the wild card race. Overall the Yankees pitchers’ struck out 16 men including two each on the best Astros - Altuve, Tucker, Bregman and Alvarez. Great stuff.

➤ The offense delivered nine hits including seven against Darth Vader, Justin Verlander, but it wasn’t without irritation as they went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. They had second and third with no outs in the second inning and scored only once on a Volpe sacrifice fly, but then Ben Rortvedt and Bauers left a man on third. The other runs came on two more solo homers by Bauers in the fifth and by Torres off Graveman in the eighth.

➤ This game included one of the most egregious displays of lack of hustle I’ve seen all season. In the third Stanton doubled and LeMahieu followed with a two-out single to right-center. Anyone on the team would have scored on this play; pretty much anyone in MLB would have scored. Hell, Stanton would have scored, too, if he had just decided to run. Incredibly, he jogged from the moment the ball was hit, and equally incredibly, third-base coach Luis Rojas waved him home. Stanton was thrown out by 10 feet, literally stopping so that catcher Martin Maldonado didn’t have to work to tag him out. I mean, at first I thought maybe he fell rounding third, but no, he just jogged the entire way. It was stunning to watch. How can he be so pathetically unathletic that he can’t run like a normal baseball player? Stanton may be the greatest example of a one-trick pony in the history of baseball. He does one thing: He hits home runs. Every other facet of his game is below average. We’ve only got four more years of him on this albatross of a contract. Naturally after the game Boone defended him. How the manager of the team can be OK with that play is beyond me.

BOX SCORE

Aug. 6: Astros 9, Yankees 7

➤ Wow, a lot happened across 3 ½ hours in this mess of a game, and not a lot of it was good. First, let’s talk about the offense. Boone said afterward he thought they had good at bats all day. Well, they drew 12 walks which, OK, they were selective, but 12 walks is more an indictment of lousy Astros pitching. In terms of actually hitting, no, there weren’t many good at bats. They scored seven runs but had only eight hits, six of which were singles; they went 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position (and 5-for-29 in the four games); and they left 15 men on base, nine in scoring position. Ultimately, that was the difference Sunday. The Astros scored nine runs on only six hits and five walks because they came through in the key situations (4-for-8 with RISP and left only two men on base), primarily thanks to Meyers who hit a pair of killer three-run homers.

➤ This is the first time the Yankees have left 15 or more runners on base in a nine-inning game since Sept. 27, 2015 against the White Sox. In the last 50 years, the Yankees have lost only two games when they drew at least 12 walks - this game, and July 22, 2021, also against the Astros. I’m sorry, that doesn’t add up to good offense for me.

➤ Down 5-1, they scored four in the fourth but had only two singles, one of which by Bader that drove in a run. Otherwise there were four walks and a hit batter, three of those freebies forcing in runs with the bases loaded. If one guy gets a big hit, that inning could have been so much bigger. The run in the sixth on a Torres RBI double was helped greatly by a brutal error on Pena, the Astros shortstop. Then in the eighth, Bader had an RBI single but with the bases loaded and two outs, Volpe flied out to kill a possible rally. In the ninth, Stanton capped an 0-for-6 by flying out to end the game with two men on base. But Boone was happy with all of this.

➤ Carlos Rodon sucked yet again, and then he hurt his hamstring so he left after 2.2 innings having allowed five runs, Meyers’ first three-run homer, and a two-run shot by Alvarez. So the Yankees got one starter back (Cortes) and lost two this week (Rodon and German). It never ends. This might be one of the worst debut seasons for a big-ticket Yankee free agent in team history. What a complete waste of money Rodon has been.

➤ The biggest surprise of the day was Peralta’s game-deciding meltdown in the sixth, capping a pretty poor series for him. The Yankees had pulled even at 5-5 and Peralta entered in the fifth after Jhony Brito walked two men. He did a great job retiring Alvarez and Tucker, but then Boone left him in for the sixth. Here’s what he did: Walk, balk, single, Meyers three-run homer. And then, Maldonado, one of the worst hitters in MLB who tormented the Yankees in two of these games, hit a solo shot to make it 9-5. And of course, all of the damage was done by righty batters, even though Boone had several righties he could have gone to. Peralta finished the inning and only then did the clueless manager give the ball to the new guy, Middleton, in the seventh when the game was basically over. Middleton then pitched two scoreless innings. Why Boone couldn’t have gone to him in the sixth, who knows?

➤ Judge hasn’t exactly been the savior everyone planned on him being. He finished this series 0-for-12 with three walks, six strikeouts and just one run scored. Since he returned he’s 5-for-27 (.185) with one homer and three RBI. Yes, he has nine walks so his on-base is .389, but Judge isn’t being paid to walk. I credit him for not chasing pitches, but he has also had opportunities and hasn’t cashed them.

➤ Torres hit a solo homer in the first. During this series the Yankees hit eight home runs and seven were solo. The Astros hit eight homers and only three were solo. For the season the Yankees have 156 home runs as a team and 92 of them have been solo. By comparison, the Rangers lead MLB in runs scored, yet they have only five more home runs than the Yankees. The difference? They have 11 more home runs with men on base. It adds up.

BOX SCORE

 ➤ Aug. 7, 2009: It’s a good thing that New York is the city that never sleeps because anyone who attended this Friday night epic at Yankee Stadium against the Red Sox didn’t get to the midtown hot spots until at least 1 a.m.

The bitter rivals battled for 14 scoreless innings before Alex Rodriguez finally sent everyone either home or to the bars with a walk-off two-run homer off Junichi Tazawa at 12:42 a.m., five hours and 33 minutes after the first pitch had been delivered.

“That’s the longest game I have ever been involved in,” said Rodriguez, whose home run was the 573rd of his career, tying him with Harmon Killebrew for ninth on the all-time list. “It was a great game by both sides. The story of the day was Beckett and Burnett.”

Yankees starter A.J. Burnett pitched into the eighth inning and allowed only one hit but did walk six, and Boston’s Josh Beckett pitched seven scoreless innings allowing just four hits and two walks. Then the bullpens took over and 12 more pitchers trudged out to the mound, but the only one who allowed a run was Tazawa.

The Red Sox finished the night 4-for-46 at the plate with eight walks, while the Yankees went 9-for-51 and walked seven times. The teams combined to leave 22 men on base and went 0-for-19 with runners in scoring position.

This came at a pivotal time in the AL East race. Just a week earlier the Yankees led the Red Sox by a mere half-game, but this was their fifth straight victory and the Red Sox fourth straight loss which gave the Yankees a 4.5-game lead. From here the Yankees would finish off a killer four-game sweep and they end up winning the division by eight games on their way to their last World Series title.

The Yankees open a three-city, nine-game road trip in Chicago against the dreadful White Sox who, one would think, should be a little easier to deal with than the Orioles, Rays and Astros.

The White Sox were supposed to be a team in the mix to win the weak AL Central, but if we think the Yankees season has been a disaster, White Sox fans are laughing at us. Their team has been next-level bad and unlike the Yankees who did nothing at the deadline, the White Sox did as much as they could to unload players in an effort to tank this season and build for the future.

They traded pitchers Lance Lynn, Lucas Giolito, Joe Kelly, Kendall Graveman, Reynaldo Lopez, and Keynan Middleton (to the Yankees), plus slugger Jake Burger who had 25 home runs. Most of these deals brought back nothing that will help them this year, so they have tanked the season. They are left in their lineup with star outfielder Luis Robert Jr. and serviceable players like Yasmani Grandal, Andrew Vaughn, Tim Anderson and Andrew Benintendi.

The Sox snapped a five-game losing streak Saturday by beating Cleveland, then won again Sunday but they’re just 45-68 on the season. Yankee teams of the past would go into Chicago this week and sweep this series, but the 2023 Yankees? Unlikely.

The pitching matchups are: Monday at 8:10 p.m. on YES, Gerrit Cole (2.64 ERA) vs. the Sox ace, Dylan Cease (4.61); Tuesday at 8:10 on YES it’s Clarke Schmidt (4.35) against Touki Toussaint (3.92); and Wednesday at 8:10 on YES the Yankees have to find someone (maybe Randy Vasquez) to pitch against Mike Clevenger (3.72).