About Last Night: The Yankees Were Ambushed by the Red Sox 5-3 in 10 Innings

About Last Night: The Yankees Were Ambushed by the Red Sox 5-3 in 10 Innings

By Tim Kabel

July 6, 2024

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The Yankees looked like they were about to turn things around, at least for one night. They were within one strike of winning the game 3-1 but as has been the case lately, they found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The Red Sox tied the game in the 9th inning and went on to win it in the 10th inning. The Yankees should have won this game. They didn’t. They played a sloppy game and once again, they did not hustle consistently. They are managing to make a bad thing worse.

Quick Stats – 

·       The Yankees are 5-15 in their last 20 games. That is not exactly a recipe for success.

·       The Yankees have the worst record in the Major Leagues in extra-inning games at 1-7.

·       The Yankees were one strike away from winning the game in the ninth inning.  So much for that.

·       Tommy Kahnle had a streak of ten games without giving up a run.  It was nice while it lasted.

·       Rowan Atkinson, the actor who played Mr. Bean, has a master’s degree in electrical engineering.  He has an IQ of 178.  DJ LeMahieu is now batting .175. Think about that.  DJ LeMahieu’s batting average is lower than Mr. Bean’s IQ. (The fact that I know what Rowan Atkinson’s IQ is indicates that I need another hobby).

·       This was Clay Holmes’ fifth blown save of the season. Some closer.

·      On July 5, 1998, Roger Clemens, who was not yet a Yankee, notched his 3,000th career strikeout. He retired with a total of 4,672 strikeouts.

The Big Story –

The Yankees have lost four games in a row, again. They are in second place. When they were doing well and winning games with regularity, I occasionally commented that there were signs that made me think this season could be a repeat of 2022. I take that back. This year is worse than 2022. The Yankees are already out of first place, and I have seen nothing that would indicate they can get back into first place. They will play the Orioles next weekend before the All-Star break. The Yankees keep losing to everyone in the American League East. They find a different way to lose every night. The manager has no answers. The players are making mental and physical errors. Many of them are not hustling. With the way things are going right now, I would not be surprised if this team does not even make the playoffs.

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Player of the Game – 

Nestor Cortes pitched a solid game. He threw 6 innings, giving up three hits and one run. He struck out eight and walked only one batter. He should have won the game.

Notable Performance –

Austin Wells had two hits and really seems to be taking off offensively. Of course, that means he won't play for three days.

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Better to Forget – 

DJ LeMahieu was hitless again. Not only that, in the third inning, he failed to hustle on a ground ball and was only safe because the Red Sox bobbled the ball twice. Later in the inning, he needed to get into a rundown so Anthony Volpe could score. He failed to do so. (The fact that Volpe didn't bust it down the line because he thought it might be a foul ball wasn't great either).

My Take –  

It is time. Enough is enough. Before it is too late, the Yankees need to make some moves. DJ LeMahieu needs to be cut from the team. He is washed up and no longer brings anything to the table. It's bad enough that he can't hit but, if he isn't even going to try, who needs him? Trent Grisham should have been benched after his lack of effort defensively on Thursday. He wasn’t.  Releasing LeMahieu and benching Grisham or perhaps trading him are only parts of the solution. 

The biggest thing the Yankees need to do right now is fire Aaron Boone. The team is in freefall, and he has no answers. They are not hitting, fielding, or pitching well consistently. Worse than that is the lack of effort that has been seen over the past week or so. It seems that the team has stopped listening to the manager. It was clear that DJ LeMahieu did not hustle on the ground ball he hit in the third inning. When this was brought up to Boone after the game, he dismissed it as if it was an absurd statement. It's great to protect your players but, Boone did address the lack of effort by Grisham the day before.

I have consistently written that the Yankees will not win a World Series as long as Aaron Boone is the manager. I do not think he is a good manager. His instincts for the game are abysmal. He makes poor decisions. He does not react well as the game is unfolding. Now, it seems that at least some of the players are not giving their maximum effort for him. If the players won't play hard for him, he needs to go.

The Yankees do need to acquire players. They need to upgrade the bullpen and they need another offensive player, whether it is someone at third base, designated hitter, or even first base, as long as they find a spot for Ben Rice. That is another problem with Boone: his inconsistent use of the young players. He stunts their growth and destroys their confidence. I have said that for years. 

Again, this is not Boone’s first season. This is his 7th year as the Yankees’ manager. The Yankees are beginning to sink like a stone. Firing him now would put the team in a place to salvage the season. I know some people may preach patience but, Boone has done nothing to earn that. He used up his "benefit of the doubt" card in 2022. The Yankees have won nothing with him at the helm and for all the talk of being greatly improved from last year and wanting to show that this is a much better team, the Yankees now look like a team that will not make the playoffs again. It is time. Boone must go.

Next Up – 

This afternoon, the Yankees will play the second game of a three-game series against the Red Sox at 1:05 PM at Yankee Stadium. Gerrit Cole, (1-1, 6.23 ERA) will face Boston’s’ Josh Winckowski, (2-1 2.80 ERA). Let’s hope the Yankees turn Winckowski into Lose-kowski.