Red Sox Roar in Mauling of Yankees

The Yankees avoided what would have been a mortifying four-game sweep, but losing three of four to the arch-rival Red Sox is the latest indication that this team does not have what it takes to compete with playoff-caliber opponents. Lets get to it. 

Well, now we know.

It doesn’t really matter what the Yankees do the rest of the regular season where 20 of the final 32 games are against teams currently in fourth place (Twins) or last (Nationals, White Sox, Orioles) in their respective divisions.

Even if we can assume they can handle those shitty teams and find their way into the postseason, we now know - though I have been telling you this for two months - that they’re going nowhere this season because when it comes time to step up against actual competition, they can’t meet the moment. And man, was that ever hammered home during this deplorable series against the Red Sox.

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What a disgusting display of baseball, if that’s what you want to call whatever that was the Yankees were playing. At home, against their fiercest and oldest rival in games that really matter given the playoff race - which hasn’t often been the case the last few years between these teams because the Red Sox have sucked - the Yankees puked all over themselves. It should have crystallized for everyone what a pretender this 70-60 team, managed by the constantly overmatched Aaron Boone, really is.

“Not the weekend we wanted to have, especially coming off a really good road trip,” Boone said. Gee, ya think?

The Red Sox, who actually have a competent manager in Alex Cora who is guiding a young, athletic and exciting team that hustles, exudes energy, pays attention to the little details, and his held accountable for its performance - all the things the Yankees don’t do - just flat out embarrassed the Yankees and leapfrogged them in the wild card standings. “It’s been fun; I’m not gonna hide it,” Cora said of his team’s ownership of the Yankees this season, eight wins in 10 games to date.

It was just a ridiculous series in every way, and no, I wasn’t moved one bit by the Yankees’ heroic salvaging of the final game Sunday night.

Across the first three games, the offense was neutered because when the Yankees don’t hit home runs, they don’t score, and usually don’t win. Sure, hitting 14 bombs in two games against the Rays was fun, but all that did was pad their MLB lead in home runs, and where exactly has that gotten the Yankees this season? They’re barely clinging to a wildcard position because that’s the only thing this team does well.

The defense was, as always, pathetic. Four errors Thursday and another one Saturday, plus countless fundamental breakdowns like throwing to the wrong base, or failing to catch foul pop ups, or balking runners up a base. The Yankees filled every column in this series.

As for the pitching, with the exception of Max Fried who was great Friday, the rest of it was mediocre to lousy. Luis Gil was terrible in the opener as he walked five men and was actually lucky he didn’t allow more than one earned run. Will Warren was worse on Saturday as he allowed 10 baserunners in four innings and allowed five earned runs which meant the Yankees had no chance to win. And Carlos Rodon gave up just one hit, but he walked five men Sunday.

And of course, the bullpen was its usual gaseous self. Camilo Doval and Luke Weaver failed in the first game, Mark Leiter gave up the only run on Friday, and then newcomer Paul Blackburn made quite a Yankees debut by allowing seven runs in the ninth inning Saturday. And Sunday, Luke Weaver and Doval weren’t exactly in lock down mode, though they did manage not to blow a pair of five-run leads.

All in all, a miserable series, and to be honest, it didn’t surprise me at all. In fact, I sort of expected that the Red Sox were going to win three of the four and that’s exactly what happened.

“It sucks. Feels real crappy,” Boone said after the third loss Saturday. “We gotta get past it. We can sit here and dwell on it. We gotta play better, we gotta play better against these quality opponents in our division, but we can’t go erase what’s been a really crappy weekend so far for us other than putting our best foot forward (Sunday) and going and salvaging a game and being in control of what we have in the pen and getting to write the story the rest of the way. But we gotta go do it.”

Aug. 21: Red Sox 6, Yankees 3

➤ The amazing thing about this game is that the Yankees were only trailing 4-3 when the ninth inning began because to that point, not only were they awful, but so were the Red Sox.

➤ There were four Yankees errors, three in the second inning alone which amazingly led to only one run, and then a big one in the ninth by Paul Goldschmidt which allowed Roman Anthony a two-out at bat which he took advantage of and crushed a clinching two-run homer off Yerry De los Santos. The Yankees pitchers walked nine men, five by Gil. The bullpen sucked again as it gave up four runs after Gil exited after five innings with a 3-2 lead. The only reason the game was even close is the Red Sox were 3-for-19 with runners in scoring position.

➤ Gil struggled with his command from the beginning. There was nonstop traffic and he now has a hideous 1.684 WHIP across his first four starts. But the Red Sox could not take advantage and the only two runs he allowed came when Ben Rice threw a ball into center field, and then Nathaniel Lowe - who just joined the Red Sox after he was waived by the putrid Nationals - hit a sacrifice fly.

➤ Then the bullpen entered the fray and once again, Doval was awful and he’s looking like another trade deadline bust. Single, balk, walk, RBI single by Anthony which tied the game, and off he went to the showers. Weaver pitched the seventh and he gave up a single and an RBI double by Lowe for the go-ahead run and then issued a walk to load the bases before he escaped. And then in the ninth, De los Santos got burned by Goldschmidt’s bobble.

➤ Offense? Well, this is what happens when the Yankees don’t hit nine home runs in a game. They hit one, by Ben Rice, and that was it. The other runs came when Jazz Chisholm singled, stole second and went to third on an error, then trotted home on Goldschmidt’s single. And in the fifth, Chisholm had an RBI single. However, with a chance for a big inning there, Ryan McMahon - who is proving to be a lousy hitter - whiffed.

➤ More aggravation in the seventh when Rice tripled with one out, only to see Chisholm and Goldschmidt fail to deliver the tying run. Then in the eighth and ninth, the Yankees went meekly without a threat.

➤ How stupid was this game? The last time the Yankees committed at least four errors and walked at least nine men in a nine-inning game at home was at the Polo Grounds on May 11, 1912. Yeah, that’s how stupid this game was.

What they said in Thursday’s clubhouse

• Chisholm: “I feel like we definitely gave them spots to win. I felt like tonight was one of those nights that we beat ourselves. Sometimes you’ve got to look in the mirror and say, ‘Hey, you beat yourself tonight. Tomorrow, come out better and focus more.’”

• Boone: “Just not a real clean game. Not a great night for us. Obviously a lot of free bases there.”

Aug. 22: Red Sox 1, Yankees 0

➤ What a feeble offensive night, and once again, when the ball stays in the yard, the Yankees are in big trouble because they can’t manufacture runs. Then again, it never had a chance to manufacture a damn thing because Brayan Bello and ex-Yankees Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman limited them to three measly singles and one walk, and not one of those men even touched second base. Simply unfathomable how horrendous this was.

➤ Fried finally pitched a good game, not that it mattered. Six shutout innings allowing four hits and three walks, but it was a wasted performance. And then because he was at 99 pitches, with the sacred 100-pitch level right there, Boone yanked him. Never mind that it was 0-0 and a game against their arch rival who has owned them all season. Nope, God forbid a pitcher get to 100 pitches. So Leiter came in for the seventh and sucked as usual as he gave up back-to-back doubles to No. 8 hitter Lowe who was pinch hitting, and No. 9 hitter Connor Wong who is hitting .189 this season. Ballgame.

➤ How about that top of the ninth? I’ve just had it with the stupidity of this team. David Bednar, on the heels of blowing the save Wednesday in Tampa, walked speedy Jarren Duran who immediately stole second. Then Ceddane Rafaela hit a routine grounder to Anthony Volpe who inexplicably tried to nab Duran wandering off second rather than get the sure out. Both guys were safe so now it was first and second with no outs. Next, Lowe flied out to Jasson Dominguez in left and what does he do? Tries to throw out Duran tagging and going to third when he had zero chance, and that allowed Rafaela to grab a free base at second. In the end, Bednar got two groundouts and escaped without allowing a run, but for Christ’s sake, when is this nonsense ever going to end with this team? Naturally, Boone defended the decisions of both Volpe and Dominguez because he doesn’t hold anyone in the clubhouse accountability for the idiotic play.

➤ How about more brain dead stupidity when Austin Wells played the role of meathead once again on the bases. He was on first after a single in the sixth when Trent Grisham lined out to shortstop. For some reason, Wells actually shuffled toward second even after the ball was caught and Trevor Story gunned him out by three steps for a double play. You just shake your head.

➤ More stupidity, this time from the manager who majors in stupidity. With righty Whitlock on the mound in the eighth, he used Stanton to pinch hit. Not for Volpe, who is in another one of his death spirals at the plate, and he predictably struck out. No, he used Stanton for lefty-swinging McMahon, taking away the platoon advantage. Now true, McMahon has stunk lately, but he hasn’t stunk as bad as Volpe. In that spot, Stanton whiffed on three pitches, looking like the Stanton we all used to hate as he was completely overmatched. Then in the ninth, Boone used Goldschmidt to pinch hit for Wells which was the right call, but then he didn’t use righty-swinging Amed Rosario to pinch hit for Grisham, a lefty hitter facing Chapman. The Yankees will never win a championship with this dipshit manager.

➤ Through two games, the Red Sox were 4-for-30 with RISP and have stranded 23 men, yet they won both.

What they said in Friday’s clubhouse

• Boone defending Volpe: “It’s obviously not the right play, but it’s a little bit of a heady play, too. He almost caught a guy off in scoring position there and then he doesn’t come around to score anyway. Makes a really good play on the contact play. I mean, are we going to really dive into that one a lot? I mean, I get it. It was an out but it’s kind of a heads up almost got a guy napping.”

• Rice: “There’s absolutely frustration. Those are our division (rivals). So we gotta be better. Gotta find ways to win our division games.”

• Boone: “I don’t like losing to them. I don’t like losing to anyone. You never like losing to the Sox. They’ve had our number here for this stretch. We get a chance to change that tomorrow.”

Aug. 23: Red Sox 12, Yankees 1

➤ This is all you need to know about this shit show because it served as a perfect microcosm for this season where the Yankees just don’t play the game the way it needs to be played. Warren was scuffling in the third and Boston had men on first and second with one out, but Warren got Bregman - who killed the Yankees all weekend - to lift a foul pop behind the plate. It wasn’t an easy play because it was just inside the screen, but almost every MLB catcher would have caught the ball, but of course Wells didn’t. It should have been the second out, but with a second life, Bregman walked to load the bases. Warren then whiffed Duran and should have been out of the inning, but thanks to Wells, he wasn’t. Naturally, Story made the Yankees pay with a two-run double. The little things matter and the Yankees just don’t execute them.

➤ With Garrett Crochet pitching for Boston, at 2-0 the game was already over. But they played the last six innings because they have to, and of course, the Red Sox pummeled the Yankees. They scored twice in the fourth because Warren loaded the bases with no outs and rather than swing for the fences and whiff the way the Yankees would, Anthony and Bregman delivered sac flies. And after Stanton provided the only offensive highlight with a home run in the fourth, Story answered with a homer in the fifth to end Warren’s lousy day.

➤ Tim Hill did what Tim Hill does as he pitched two really good innings before giving way to Blackburn who had just been signed off the scrap heap to be a mop up man. It started well enough, but in the ninth, oh my God, what a meltdown and Boone wisely just let him eat it. Seven runs on seven hits, a walk, a balk, and a Volpe error and the fans who were streaming to the exits were booing every step of the way.

➤ The Red Sox tied their longest single-season winning streak against the Yankees since the Wild Card Era began in 1994, now eight in a row, which the 2009 team also did. That year, the Yankees rallied to win the World Series. That won’t be happening this year.

What they said in Saturday’s clubhouse

• Boone: “No, we’re not running out of time, but if we don’t do better, then it’s going to fizzle out and we’re not going to get to where we want to be.”

• Judge: “We’re definitely, I can only speak for myself, definitely angry. Especially against your rivals, don’t like the showing we’ve had here at home. Coaches can’t fix that, fans can’t fix that, media can’t fix that. It’s the players in this room. We’ve got to step up.”

Aug. 24: Yankees 7, Red Sox 2

➤ They avoided the ultimate embarrassment of getting swept at home in a four-game series by their arch rival. Big deal.

➤ Once again, almost every run came via the home run - a two-run shot in the second by Chisholm, solo shots by Grisham in the third and fifth, and a two-run porch job by Chisholm in the eighth. The other run came in the fourth on a sac fly by Jose Caballaro after Stanton had doubled.

➤ In this series, the Yankees scored 11 runs and eight came via the home run. They had only two RBI base hits, both in the game on Thursday.

➤ Rodon had a weird night. He gave up a single to Bregman in the first, and that was the only hit he allowed. His first two walks were wiped out by double plays, but then in the sixth he walked the bases loaded, squeezed pretty good by the ump, and that ended his night at 103 pitches. Weaver entered and immediately gave up a two-run single to Lowe who just killed the Yankees all weekend. But Weaver whiffed Duran to end that threat and then he, Devin Williams and Doval shut the Sox out the rest of the way.

➤ Boone benched Volpe - who is hitting .121 in his last 19 games - and started Caballaro at short. After the game, reporters learned that Volpe would also be sitting the opener against the Nationals. For once, Boone is making a good decision because it has been obvious to everyone that Volpe does not deserve to start every game, especially now that Caballaro is on the team because he can handle shortstop. Volpe is hitting .208 this year and his 17 errors are second-most in MLB, meaning he has literally been one of the worst players in MLB. And because Caballaro can play multiple positions, Boone shifted him to right to get Stanton out of the field late in the game so Volpe came in and thankfully he didn’t have to bat, nor did he find a way to screw anything up in the field as he made the one play he needed to make.

What they said in Sunday’s clubhouse

• Rodon: “Tonight we knew we had to win. The boys swung the bats well. Defensively we had some double plays turned. The infield was great. It was a good win.”

• Volpe: “It’s pretty raw. As a competitor and someone who takes pride being out there every day, you take it on the chin and look at the positives. It’s all on me. Just continue the work. There’s so much good work being put in. That’s what makes it frustrating. You feel like you can contribute and help the team, but it’s not discouraging because you know the work you’re doing. I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do to contribute.”

• Boone on Caballaro: “That’s the kind of 10th man you want. He can go legit play defense at four, five different spots and be good at it, and give you a little something in the batter’s box, too. And then, obviously, what he’s able to do on the bases, just a heady player. He complements our team really well.”

The Yankees get back into action against a team more their speed, the God-awful Nationals who are in last place in the NL East with a 53-77 record, 23 games behind the Phillies. This is a bad team and after what just happened against the Red Sox, the Yankees have no recourse here - nothing less than a sweep will be tolerable.

Here are some of the top Nationals to watch:

➤ LF James Wood: He has been the Nationals top prospect for a while, and he’s been very good as he leads the team in just about everything with 26 homers, 83 RBI, 125 hits, and an .838 OPS, but he also leads all of MLB with 171 strikeouts.

➤ SS CJ Abrams: He leads the Nats with 79 runs scored and 26 stolen bases, and he also has 17 homers and a .783 OPS.

➤ RF Dylan Crews: Another big prospect but he has really struggled in his rookie season and even went down to Rochester for a spell. He’s hitting just .206 with a .279 on-base.

➤ RP Kyle Finnegan: The closer has 20 saves but a .438 ERA and 1.282 WHIP which tracks on a team with a 5.66 bullpen ERA which is the worst in MLB.

The pitching matchups are scheduled to be:

• Monday, 7:05, YES: Cam Schlittler (3.22) vs. Brad Lord (3.46), a rookie who has spent most of the season in the bullpen but has been in the rotation since late July.

• Tuesday, 7:05, YES: Luis Gil (4.26) vs. MacKenzie Gore (4.11) who is the ace of the Nationals staff despite a 1.349 WHIP.

• Wednesday, 1:05, YES: Max Fried (3.14) vs. Cade Cavalli (2.82), once a top prospect who has been derailed by injuries but has made four solid starts since being recalled from Rochester in early August.