About Last Night: The Yankees Were Derailed by the Blue Jays 8-5

About Last Night: The Yankees Were Derailed by the Blue Jays 8-5

By Tim Kabel

August 3, 2024

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The Yankees’ five-game winning streak is over. They did not retake sole possession of first place. This game was awful. They showed some life but, they still lost in convincing fashion. It was not a well-played game. Once again, Aaron Judge provided a large portion of the offense, hitting his 40th home run of the season. However, that was not enough. Poor pitching, lack of consistent offense, and lack of effort sealed the Yankees’ fate from the beginning.

Quick Stats – 

·       Aaron Judge hit his 40th home run and now has 101 RBI. There are two months left in the season. This is another of his special seasons.

·       Austin Wells was 2-4 again and is making himself at home in the cleanup position. Now that he is playing regularly, he is really beginning to shine and is getting some consideration for Rookie of the Year.

·       .Aaron Judge joined Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Mickey Mantle as the only Yankees to have three or more seasons of 40 or more home runs 

·       Marcus Stroman did not give the Yankees a chance to win last night. He only lasted 2.2 innings and gave up seven earned runs. He has to do better for the Yankees to advance into the postseason.

·      Blake Snell, who was not acquired by the Yankees at the trade deadline, pitched a no-hitter for the Giants last night against the Cincinnati Reds.

·       On August 2, 1979, one of the darkest days in New York Yankees’ history, Thurman Munson died in a plane crash. For fans of my generation, it still stings.

The Big Story –

The Yankees came into last night riding a five-game winning streak having won games against the Red Sox and the Phillies. Had they won last night, they would have been in sole possession of first place in the American League East. They didn't. Obviously, you can't win every game. Also, any team can win on any given night. However, this was not a close game. The Yankees were out of it from the beginning. Marcus Stroman was awful and was probably left in too long. The offense was not consistent throughout the lineup.

There are 51 games left in the season. The Yankees need to win as many games as they possibly can. They are fortunate that the Orioles have been about as awful as the Yankees have been, otherwise the Orioles could have built up a big lead in the American League East. Currently, they are tied for first place.

Although it is true that you can't win every game, you can at least try to win every game. Gleyber Torres’s lack of hustle and styling in the second inning, which led to his booming ball off the wall being held to a single, and his subsequent act of being thrown out at home were inexcusable. I'm not saying his actions cost the Yankees the game but, it's not the right look for a team in a playoff hunt.

Player of the Game – 

Aaron Judge continues his march toward another MVP-caliber season.

Notable Performance –

Anthony Volpe had another strong game with three hits, including a home run, and two RBI. He now has his average up to .259.

Better to Forget – 

Marcus Stroman was horrible. If he wants to remain in the rotation, he needs to be much more effective than he was last night. Other than Judge and Volpe, the best part of this game was the rain delay.

My Take –  

Gleyber Torres was benched a few weeks ago for a lack of hustle. When the Yankees acquired Jazz Chisholm, Jr. last week, both Chisholm and Torres were asked about the possibility of playing third base for the Yankees. Chisolm said that he was willing to play anywhere the team needed him and has made a relatively seamless adjustment to third base. Gleyber Torres announced that he was a second baseman and would not consider changing positions. It is unknown whether Torres would be any better at third base than he is at second base, but he completely dismissed the idea out of hand. It should be noted that Gleyber Torres leads the league in errors by a second baseman. After proclaiming himself the second baseman, Torres proceeded to have a few shaky games in the field and on the base paths.

Last night, Gleyber Torres came up to bat in the bottom of the second inning with one out. The Yankees were trailing 3-2. He drove the ball deep to left field and it bounced off the wall. Torres demonstrated the sense of urgency of a three-toed sloth and simply watched the ball and the subsequent play of the outfielder as if he was sitting in the third row. He legged a sure double and possibly a triple into a single. He was subsequently thrown out at home to end the inning. Who knows what would have happened if he had hustled? But we do know what happened when he didn't hustle: nothing good.

Aaron Boone’s response to this inexcusable behavior was clear and decisive. Well, not really. He immediately benched Torres. Well, not really. Actually, Boone let Torres take the field for the top of the third inning. He replaced him with Oswaldo Cabrera in the top of the fourth inning. Boone’s explanation for this delayed benching? He didn't want to “ambush Cabrera” by having him go out onto the field. Was Cabrera sleeping in a hammock? At this point, doesn't Cabrera occupy the role of utility player? Hasn't he always indicated and demonstrated that he is ready to do whatever the team needs at the drop of a hat? I find it highly unlikely that he would need a whole inning to prepare himself to go in. What if Torres had been hurt? Would they have delayed the game? The whole reason that you have Cabrera in the utility role is so that he can enter the game at a moment’s notice. Saying that you were reluctant to ambush him as if he were a nonagenarian with a bum ticker is absurd.

The cameras showed Boone and Torres having an animated, but not hostile, conversation prior to Torres’s benching. After the game, Boone’s explanation led to more questions than answers. Ultimately, he said he no longer wished to discuss the matter. Torres is not the first player who didn’t hustle during Boone’s tenure as manager. He is not the first player or the only player to do so this season. Yet, why was he benched? Don't get me wrong, he should have been benched except, immediately. As soon as he came in after being thrown out at home, he would have been ordered to the bench, if it were my call. And he would stay there indefinitely.  The only other player to be benched during Boone’s tenure was Aaron Hicks, when he gave up on a ball and then immediately after had another ball hit over his head that he misplayed.

The way this mess was handled raises more questions about Boone’s abilities and leadership style. The delayed benching could lead some to speculate that it wasn't his decision. Perhaps, he received orders from above. That would be bad. The fact that he said the benching was only for last night is also a problem. Torres was benched for two games a few weeks ago for similar behavior. His banishment to the bench this time should be for a longer duration. In fact, once Torres made the proclamation that he would not consider trying third base and that he was the second baseman, he should have been traded. His behavior and performance since the Jazz Chisholm, Jr. trade have become worse. The fact that Boone dithered and ultimately became defensive and defiant during the post-game press conference shows his lack of leadership and managerial skill. 

What unfolded during last night's game with Boone and Torres should be a clear indication that neither of them should be back next season. Again, Torres should have been benched but, the fact that Boone had to take a whole inning to do it is concerning and speaks to his lack of leadership. It also opens the discussion regarding the possibility that Boone was directed to bench Torres by the front office. Either way, Torres’s behavior was inexcusable, and it was only compounded by the way Boone chose to handle it.

Next Up – 

Today, the Yankees play the second game of a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays at 1:05 PM at Yankee Stadium. Carlos Rodon, (11-7, 4.34 ERA) will face Toronto’s Jose Berrios, (9-8, 3.93 ERA).