1. On July 27, the Yankees fielded a lineup resembling a February 27 game. Despite their spring training look, the Yankees scored their most runs since July 9 and their second-most runs since June 17 in a 9-5 win over the White Sox. It wasn’t the kind of win you would expect from a nine-run output. The Yankees fell behind three runs in the first inning, took a one-run lead in the fourth, gave away the lead in the fifth, retook a one-run lead in the sixth, made it a five-run lead in the eighth and allowed the White Sox to bring the tying run to the on-deck circle in the ninth.
2. After throwing five scoreless, one-hit innings in his return from the injured list on Thursday, Max Fried looked like his pre-IL self on Monday. Fried lasted only three innings, allowed seven baserunners and three earned runs and needed 66 pitches to get nine outs.
“I wish I would’ve been sharper to be able to get some more innings,” Fried said.
3. Fried wasn’t sharp, but he wasn’t helped by his defense either, which makes sense since the Yankees had multiple players playing out of position to maximize their right-handed-hitting options. The Yankees had Max Schuemann playing left field and leading off, Jasson Dominguez in the clean-up spot, Anthony Volpe batting fifth, Jose Caballero playing third base, Jazz Chisholm and Spencer Jones playing with a lefty starting and Amed Rosario (who was re-signed specifically to play against lefties) on the bench.
4. For the first three innings, it looked like the 22-year-old rookie Noah Schultz and his 6.04 ERA were going to easily navigate the Yankees’ lineup like so many mediocre starters have since the beginning of June. Schultz struck out the side in the first and had five strikeouts through three. In the fourth, trailing 3-0, the Yankees loaded the bases with a pair of walks and a single, leading to a Volpe groundout to make it 3-1, which led to Schultz’s removal. Chisholm greeted reliever Chris Murphy with a two-run, game-tying double, stole third and scored on a Jones groundout to give the Yankees a 4-3 lead.
5. The White Sox tied the game at 4 in the fifth against Tim Hill and it remained tied until Ben Rice drove in Rosario following Rosario’s pinch-hit double. In the eighth, the Yankees added a run to their lead after a throwing error and broke the game open with an Ali Sanchez three-run home run, the first of his career.
“You always dream to play in the big leagues,” Sanchez said. “Having yoru first homer with the Yankees uniform and getting the ‘W,’ it’s special.”
6. In the ninth, the combination of Camilo Doval and poor infield defense led to the White Sox bringing the tying run to the on-deck circle. Volpe dropped a popup on the right side of the infield that would have ended the game, but instead, it led to David Bednar needing to relieve Doval and throw pitches in a game the Yankees led by five in the ninth. Back-to-back games with crucial errors from Volpe. Nothing to see here! Start him again at short on Tuesday!
7. The Yankees had to use seven relievers to get through six innings after Fried’s ineffectiveness and pitch count forced him out after three. Will Warren only gave the team three innings as well on Sunday. The Yankees need length from their starters, and they need exceptional starts, considering expecting nine-run outbursts from a lineup that features mostly reserve and minor-league players is a recipe for disaster, not success.
8. I have no idea what the Yankees’ plan is for the trade deadline, and it seems like no one else does either. There are reports that they are willing to go all-in for Mason Miller. There are reports connecting them to CJ Abrams. There is talk of them going after Zach Neto. There are so many different outcomes for the Yankees at the deadline ranging from upgrading shortstop to getting a catcher to revamping one-third of the 26-man roster. All I know is that their deficit to the Rays hasn’t moved and their lead over the Red Sox is dwindling as neither of those teams seems to lose. Waiting until the actual deadline to acquire upgrades means six more games (against the White Sox and Cubs) off the schedule and likely a seventh with the Yankees playing an hour after the deadline.
9. When you look at Monday’s lineup, at full strength (if that ever happens) and after the expected post-deadline moves, it’s likely Rice and Chisholm are the only two who would be starting for the Yankees in the postseason. Schuemann would be on the bench (at best), Goldschmidt would be on the bench, Dominguez would be on the bench (at best), Volpe would hopefully not be on the roster or in the organization, Caballero would be on the bench, Jones wouldn’t be on the roster and Sanchez would likely not be on the roster either. With the left-handed Anthony Kay starting on Tuesday, the Yankees lineup won’t look much different from what it was on Monday.
10. The bad news is that, for probably the rest of the road trip, the Yankees are going to have to manage with lineups identical or close to Monday’s. The good news is that the Yankees are already 3-1 on the road trip. I would have gladly signed up for 5-5 before it began in Philadelphia, so based on that expectation, the Yankees winning two of the remaining six games against the White Sox and Cubs should be deemed a success. With Gerrit Cole, Cam Schlittler and Max Fried starting four of those six games, the Yankees have the opportunity to have a much-better-than-expected road trip.
Last modified: Jul 28, 2026
