Yankees Thoughts: ‘An End in Sight’

The Yankees played a game, which means the Yankees’ season loss total increased by one.

Here are 10 thoughts on the Yankees.

1. On Friday afternoon, I found myself wondering if the Yankees were to lose all six games against the Red Sox and Phillies over the next six days, would Aaron Boone still be the manager next Friday? The Yankees’ season has free fallen to the point where losing six straight to those two teams is a realistic result. Six straight losses would mean an eight-game losing streak, and it would mean the Yankees no longer hold a playoff spot.

2. The opposing starters for those six games would be Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford, Tanner Houck, Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler and Christopher Sanchez. The worst of the six starters the Yankees would face would be Bello, who is having a down year after a breakout season a year ago. If the Yankees couldn’t win the series opener at Fenway Park against Bello, the six-game road trip could unravel into an unfixable disaster.

3. The Yankees didn’t win that game. They lost 9-7 despite holding a three-run lead with eight outs to go. Their two “most trusted” relievers in Luke Weaver and Clay Holmes imploded and allowed five runs between the seventh and eighth inning and the Yankees lost another game and lost another game to the Red Sox.

4. The loss dropped the Yankees to 2-5 against the Red Sox this season. It was their third straight loss overall. It was their fifth loss in seven games since the All-Star break. It was their 13th loss in 19 games in July. It was their 24th loss in 35 games since June 13. On June 14, the Yankees held a 13-game lead in the loss column for a playoff spot. After Friday’s loss, it’s down to two games.

5. Nestor Cortes was awful again. He couldn’t make it through five innings (4.2 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K) for the third straight start and fourth time in his last five starts. He put 12 runners on base in 4 2/3 innings, and yet, he didn’t think he pitched poorly, saying, “I threw a lot of good pitches.” He then went on to blame “soft contact” for the loss. He sounded a lot like Luis Severino talking about exit velocity after Alex Bregman’s home run in Game 2 of the 2022 ALCS. Why aren’t any of the Yankees accountable for their performances? Why are they always making excuses based on soft contact, exit velocity, catch probability and domed stadiums having the roof open? Maybe it has something to do with the way they hear their manager speak?

6. Two starts ago, Cortes put 10 baserunners on in 4 1/3 innings. Boone said, “He pitched well.”

Last start, Cortes put 10 baserunners on in 4 1/3 innings again, and Boone said, “I thought the profile of the stuff was there.”

On Friday, Cortes put 11 baserunners on in 4 2/3 innings, and Boone again said, “I thought he threw the ball well.” Cortes thought he pitched well. Boone thought he pitched well. I guess a 7.71 ERA and 2.355 WHIP is pitching well. Who am I to argue?

During the All-Star break, Cortes tweeted the following:

“Everyone talks down about the yanks but they wanna be us. It’s a privilege to wear pinstripes. Every year we are in contention. I’m blessed to be able to compete for a playoff spot and always be contenders at the end.“

I hoped and prayed a Red Sox fan had hacked his account and posted that message, but no, it was Cortes himself. And when you hear him speak after each miserable start it’s obvious he’s as delusional as anyone in the Yankees clubhouse, including his manager. Since that tweet, here is Cortes’ line: 9 IP, 17 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 4 BB, 6 K, 3 HR, 1 HBP, 10.00 ERA, 2.333 WHIP. Yes, everyone wants to be the Yankees.

7. Weaver is slowly turning back into the Luke Weaver the Royals waived, the Mariners let go, the Reds released and the Mariners let go again. The Luke Weaver who has a 4.93 career ERA.

After pitching to a 0.00 ERA from Opening Day through May 19 thanks to impeccable control (four walks in 20 innings), good fortune (line drives turning into double plays) and exceptional defense behind him, Holmes has been atrocious since. Since May 20, he has put 35 baserunners on in 20 2/3 innings and has pitched to a 5.66 ERA and 1.645 WHIP. Opposing batters are hitting .315/.361/.461 against him.

8. “It’s hard obviously, but I’m not going to keep talking about how hard it is and tough,” Boone said, apparently unwilling to discuss his team’s collapse.” “We’ve gotta close out games, and I’m absolutely confident we will.”

“This is when you find out a lot about your team, a lot about your individual players when you go through it,” Boone said, “who’s tough enough to withstand it.”

Well, this is the third straight season the Yankees have endured a mid-June-on collapse, and considering the roster is virtually the same, we know no one who was on the team the last two years is tough enough to withstand it.

9. “We’re in compete mode,” Boone said, “and I thought we competed really well tonight.”

I need to know what “compete mode” is. And if the Yankees are in “compete mode” now, what mode were they in prior to being in this mode? Were games before Friday’s not important? Did they not count the same? What was different about Friday than Wednesday or last week or last month that the Yankees entered “compete mode” on Friday?

If the Yankees “competed really well” and still allowed nine runs and lost by two runs then I think it’s time to pack up the bats and balls for the year. If “competing really well” is only good enough to get the Yankees their latest late-game collapse and latest season-crushing loss then how can anyone possibly think the season is going to turn around?

10. Boone refrained from saying, “It’s right in front of us,” after his team’s latest loss. He used the phrase on Wednesday, had Thursday off and then didn’t use it on Friday, so if the Yankees lose on Saturday, get ready to hear it again.

Instead, Boone went with a new one: “There’s definitely an end in sight and we’re gonna get there.”

Yes, there is. It’s looking like the end for the 2024 Yankees will be Game 162 of the regular season with no postseason baseball for a second straight year. That’s what in front of the Yankees right now if they keep playing the way they have since mid-June.