About Last Night: Braves 5, Yankees 0

By Derek McAdam

August 16, 2023

***

The New York Yankees dropped Tuesday night’s game against the Atlanta Braves by a score of 5-0, extending their losing streak to four games and declining to a 60-60 record.

Quick Stats: W: Bryce Elder (9-4) - 7 IP, 1 H, 3 BB, 3 K

L: Luis Severino (2-8) - 4 IP, 5 H, 5 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 5 K

With the series loss, the Yankees have lost nine of their last 12 series. DJ LeMahieu also had the lone Yankee hit last night, a bloop single in the 2nd inning. The Yankees also grounded into four double plays, including Aaron Judge’s that ended the game.

Big Story: The Yankees were desperately trying to avoid sliding to a perfect .500 record last night, while also trying to stop their losing streak at three games. Severino was sent out to start for the Yankees, and like his previous starts, it did not go smoothly.

Marcell Ozuna got the Braves on the board in the 1st inning with a three-run home run. Part of the Braves’ success this season has been their ability to get ahead early in the game and set the tone for the rest of the game. Like Monday night, this home run was able to do just that.

The only other runs came in the 4th inning, when Ronald Acuna Jr. hit a two-run home run to extend the Braves’ lead to 5-0. These were the two runs that were unearned on Severino’s part due to an error by Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

While the Braves pitching only allowed one hit to LeMahieu, the Yankees still had some opportunities to score some runs. They walked five times, however they also wrapped into four double plays.

It was simply another night that the Yankees will want to forget all about.

Player of the Game: Elder made sure that the Braves’ only option was to take home a win, and he did exactly that. Elder pitched seven scoreless innings and only allowed one base runner to enter into scoring position. He did his job incredibly well.

Notable Performances: Ozuna and Acuna both delivered the two big hits for the Braves last night. Both bullpens delivered scoreless appearances, with the Yankees using four pitchers and the Braves using two.

Better to Forget: The entire Yankee team should forget last night. It was a loss that really defines this year’s team.

My Take: Well, the Yankees are officially a .500 team this year, and with the way they’ve played the past two and a half months, it’s amazing that they’re even that "good." The Yankees have looked like a team that’s absolutely defeated during these first two games in Atlanta, but Sunday’s loss to the Marlins really put the nail in the coffin for this team. Maybe they’ve realized that there really isn’t as much hope to make the playoffs as Aaron Boone is making it seem.

Severino is extremely fortunate that this team has battled a couple of injuries in the rotation, as well as Domingo German stepping away to deal with his alcohol problem. However, at this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Yankees are seriously considering cutting the veteran starter. He’s become consistently unreliable, and there may be someone in Triple-A that the Yankees may want to get a look at. After all, I don’t think it could get much worse at this point.

The Yankees also grounding into four double plays is just extremely annoying to watch. When Judge came up in the 9th, I said out loud, “Watch Aaron ground into a double play to end the game.” Just a couple of pitches later, that’s exactly what happened. This team is just too predictable at this point.

It’s also reached the point in the season where the Yankees should consider calling up a prospect or two, maybe someone like Everson Pereira, who has produced solid numbers in the outfield. Even if the next six weeks won’t result in a playoff appearance for the Yankees, they should at least make something of it. It may not be hope for this season, but maybe some for the years to come.

At this point, if the Yankees can avoid a series sweep, it would be a huge accomplishment. Atlanta has outplayed them in every category through the first two games, so it will be interesting to see what happens tonight.

What’s Next?: The Yankees will look to avoid the sweep and falling below .500 tonight. Randy Vasquez is scheduled to start for the Yankees, while Charlie Morton will start for the Braves. The game is set for a 7:20 p.m. EST start from Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia.