About Yesterday Afternoon: The Yankees Were Defeated by The Rays 7-4

About Yesterday Afternoon: The Yankees Were Defeated by The Rays 7-4

By Tim Kabel

August 28, 2023

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The last-place Yankees completed the three-game series and the season series against the second-place Tampa Bay Rays yesterday. They lost the game, this series, and the season series, eight games to five.

The Yankees are now 62-68 on the season. They trail the first-place Orioles by 19 games. They are firmly in last place, 6.5 games behind the Red Sox. The Yankees are 10.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. In technical terms, the Yankees stink. Mercifully, there are only 32 games left in the season. Who would have thought that at this point in the season, the Yankees’ goal would be to reach the .500 mark?

Quick Stats -

• Carlos Rodon had seven strikeouts yesterday and at one point retired 11 batters in a row. That is a good sign for the future.

• DJ LeMahieu hit three home runs against the Rays this weekend.

• The Yankees have lost 19 of their last 26 games.

• The Yankees have lost eight straight rubber games.

• Ian Hamilton gave up a career high four runs in the game.

• Aaron Boone pulled Carlos Rodon in the fifth inning after he issued a second walk in the inning. He was only at 84 pitches. Why wouldn't Boone allow him to work his way out of it? He is not a rookie. He is supposed to be one of the best pitchers on the team. As Yul Brynner said in The King and I, “is a puzzlement."

• The Yankees cleared the benches more times this weekend than they won games.

• Yankees’ pitchers hit as many Tampa Bay batters as the Yankees scored runs: 4.

• On August 27th, 1938, Joe DiMaggio hit three triples in the first game of a doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians. The Yankees won the game 8-7. This season, Anthony Volpe leads the team with four triples. That's for the whole season, not one game.

The Big Story -

The Yankees need to reset their goals for this season. Winning the division or even making the playoffs are not realistic aspirations. Everything that the team does for the remainder of this season should be done with 2024 as the focal point. There is no way in the world that Josh Donaldson should get a single at bat for this team. If he reaches the end of his IL stint and is able to play, he should simply be designated for assignment and sent elsewhere. His free agency can begin early.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa should be played sparingly down the stretch. The Yankee should focus on rebuilding Oswaldo Cabrera as a utility player, after banishing him to the bench for extended periods of time this season. I don't know if he has a future with this team, but I do know that IKF does not.

If Anthony Rizzo recovers sufficiently from his concussion to play, he should be reinserted into the lineup at first base to allow him to get back into the swing of things. He is under contract for next season and will most likely be here.

Player of the Day -

Anthony Volpe hit a two-run home run and has 18 home runs for the season.

Notable Performances -

DJ LeMahieu and Kyle Higashioka each hit a home run.

Better to Forget-

Harrison Bader was hitless and made an errant throw in the first inning, leading to a Tampa Bay run.

My Take -

The Yankees have reached the point of no return this season. In fact, they reached it a while ago. To even hint or suggest that they have a chance to make the playoffs is absurd. There is a certain freedom that comes with that. The only thing they have to lose is more games. It doesn't matter at this point how many more games they lose. At best, they will hover around the .500 mark at the end of the season. That is not impressive.

Anthony Volpe has secured a spot on this team moving forward. He will be on the team next season and will most likely be the shortstop. The only change to that would be if the Yankees moved Volpe to second base and put Peraza at shortstop. That has been suggested but Peraza may very well wind up staying at third base. Volpe should be moved to the lead-off spot for the rest of the season. He seems to be well suited to that role, and should be given the last 30 or so games to see what he can do.

This week, the Yankees recalled Everson Pereira and Oswald Peraza. So far, they are playing every day and seem to be doing reasonably well. They are young players, and it will take time for them to adjust to the Major Leagues. That adjustment should happen now, rather than at the beginning of next year.

Ben Rortvedt has been playing fairly often at catcher and although he is doing well defensively, he doesn't seem to be any better than either Kyle Higashioka or Jose Trevino. When the rosters expand on September 1st, Austin Wells should be brought up and allowed to play the bulk of the games at catcher for the remainder of the season. So far, the Yankees remain committed to him being a catcher. If that changes, this would be the time to see what he could do at first base.

Jasson Dominguez has jumped off to a fast start in Scranton. I don't know if he's ready to play in the Major leagues. Other organizations bring players up without giving them a tremendous amount of time at AAA. The Yankees do not historically do that. It is reasonable to think that Jasson Dominguez could do next year what Anthony Volpe did this year. In other words, he could win the starting centerfield job in spring training. Why not give him a chance to get a taste of the Major Leagues now?

The Yankees finally seem to be willing to give legitimate chances to their young players. However, the caveat to that is that young players frequently have some difficulty adjusting to the Major Leagues. Anthony Volpe has not had a spectacular rookie season. However, he has made improvements along the way. He will likely finish the year with 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases, and he is among the team leaders in RBI. If the Yankees go with a youth movement for next season, they should not expect to win the World Series. They should expect their young players to develop and be competitive. Look what the Baltimore Orioles have done. The thing about the Orioles is that their players have developed more quickly than anticipated.

I think it's great that the Yankees have brought up Pereira and Peraza to play alongside Volpe. I think Oswaldo Cabrera should play more often and I think Austin Wells and Jasson Dominguez should be brought up. I think the Yankee should bring those players up and put Shelley Duncan right alongside with them on the flight. He can take over as manager and help ease the transition of the young players to the Major Leagues.

Next Up -

Tonight, the Yankees open a four-game series against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park at 6:40 PM. Luis Severino (3-8 7.27 ERA) will face Detroit’s Reese Olson (2-5 5.29 ERA).