Daily Report – 7/9/26
Yankees
They call it the “quadruple play.” Invented by the Yankees yesterday, it involves any combination of four outs at once, often including multiple ejections in addition to outs on the bases. In this case, the quadruple play was the byproduct of two ejections and a strikeout double play.
Trailing the Rays 2-0 in the third game of a crucial four-game series, José Caballero singled to open the sixth inning. Then, Paul Goldschmidt struck out, and as he waved at strike three, Caballero got caught stealing second base.
The Yankees wanted to challenge the play, but the umpires didn’t give them enough time. It was the third time this crew, led by Doug Eddings and Emil Jimenez, prevented the Yankees from challenging a play based on speed. Previously, they had denied Jasson Domínguez the right to use ABS because they felt he didn’t motion quickly enough.
“It’s a close play,” Caballero said. “I think he missed the tag, and I can see why it took a little long to figure out if I was safe. I think he missed the tag on the first try, but it was very close.”
Frustrated, Aaron Boone and Brad Ausmus started chirping from the dugout. Eddings ejected Ausmus first, which angered Boone even more. He lost his cool and got tossed, too, forcing Tanner Swanson, the Yankees’ Quality Control Coach and Director of Catching, to step in as manager.
“[Eddings] didn’t allow the challenge to go through,” Boone said. I thought we were in time. I haven’t even looked to know, but I should have kept myself in the game there. That’s not a good time to go out there and get personal with it, just based on some things with this crew. So, I’ve got to do a better job in that spot of staying in the game.”
The ejections took the attention off the first two legs of the quadruple play. Caballero’s aggressive baserunning was risky, but understandable, considering how anemic the Yankees have been offensively. The Yankees lost 3-0 last night, and Goldschmidt went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
“Yeah, he’s scuffling too,” Boone said of Goldschmidt, who, in his 16th Big League season, is in a career-worst 0-for-34 slump. “He’s swinging through some pitches that, for much of the year, he’s been putting in play with authority.”
Goldschmidt’s struggles are inexplicable, especially because 13 days ago, he was hitting over .300. He hasn’t recorded a single hit since June 25, and he hasn’t reached base since June 27. Goldschmidt’s biggest strength as a Yankee has been his offensive prowess against left-handed pitching. The same can be said for Cody Bellinger.
However, since both players are a combined 12-for-107 (.112) in their last 15 games, the Yankees haven’t had enough weapons against left-handed starters.
“One of [Bellinger’s] superpowers is being able to put the ball in play,” Boone said. “The balls he is putting in play, I feel like he’s close on where he’s hitting the fly ball. Middle of the outfield, just missing some balls. But he’s had some swing-and-miss, which is something that he usually doesn’t do a lot. […] So, we’ve got to work with him to get through it.”
Add Amed Rosario, 3-for-his-last-17, to the mix, and the Yankees match up even worse versus lefties. In fact, their numbers are actually worse against lefties than the organization likes to admit. Goldschmidt’s batting average against lefties is still high, but last year, Bellinger owned a .353 average against southpaws. This year, he has hit .248 against them, barely better than his .243 average against righties.
Furthermore, Rosario, whom the Yankees resigned as a platoon option at third base, is hitting .218 against lefties and .279 against righties. He is a career .292 hitter against left-handed pitching. His shift is mind-boggling, but the Yankees continue to deploy him against left-handed starters.
It isn’t like they have a plethora of options, though. Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, their biggest right-handed bats, are injured. On paper, the Yankees have plenty of firepower to compensate for their losses. But for some reason, their best hitters are slumping, and against lefties, the impact becomes exaggerated.
The Yankees have four wins in their last 18 games. For the first time since 1991, they have scored five runs or fewer in 20 consecutive contests, the longest streak in baseball this season. They have struck out 43 times in their last three games, and they haven’t walked since Monday.
“Obviously, offensively, it’s a real struggle for us,” Boone said. “I keep saying that. It’s no secret. There’s no magic pill. I really feel like the preparation is good. The conversations in the hitting room are the right ones. They’re with the right energy and focus. They’re communicating well, like we do when things are easier times for us.
“But obviously, I keep saying we’ve got to get some guys going. That’s the reality. But ultimately, we’ve got to go do it. So, I do believe we’ll get through this, but there’s not much more to talk about. We’ve got to go make some things happen.”
The Yankees had their chances yesterday because of Gerrit Cole, who pitched into the seventh inning, permitting three runs on seven hits. Thanks to solid defense, especially when Jonathan Aranda doubled in the fifth inning, Cole limited the damage. So, at least the Yankees are improving defensively, which is especially important on the speedy Tropicana infield.
But as he tends to do, Cole expressed his frustrations during his postgame interview. “It’s tough,” he said. “Tough stretch. I’m not in anyone’s head, but just looking at the outcomes, it’s not where we want to be. It’s not good enough to compete for first place right now.”
Cole made the best of a bad situation, but it wasn’t enough to energize the lineup. This afternoon, the Yankees will face the crafty righty Drew Rasmussen, who has held them scoreless in 13 innings this season. The Yankees must dig deep and do whatever it takes to leave Tampa Bay with a series split.
“Ultimately, we’ve got to find a way to be more consistent offensively, and we can do it in a lot of different ways,” Boone said. “We can do it by putting the ball in play, which has been a real challenge for us this series. [Also], slugging, getting on base, which we need to do a better job of. Get back to controlling the strike zone better, which is our MO and our DNA.
“No one’s gonna feel sorry for us, and I don’t think anyone in that room does.”
This afternoon, at 1:10 PM, RHP Paul Blackburn (2-1, 2.22 ERA) will start a bullpen game for the Yankees against the righty Drew Rasmussen (7-4, 2.78 ERA).
Here is today’s starting lineup for the New York Yankees:
CF Trent Grisham (L)
DH Ben Rice (L)
RF Jasson Domínguez (S)
1B Cody Bellinger (L)
SS José Caballero (R)
2B Jazz Chisholm Jr. (L)
LF Max Schuemann (R)
3B Ryan McMahon (L)
C Austin Wells (L)
SP: RHP Drew Rasmussen (7-4, 2.78 ERA)
Schedule
1:10 PM: NYY at TB; YES, Gotham Sports; SP: RHP Paul Blackburn (2-1, 2.22 ERA) vs. RHP Drew Rasmussen (7-4, 2.78 ERA)
