NEW YORK — Aaron Boone stood in the visiting manager’s office Tuesday night, searching for the right words to describe what had unfolded at Yankee Stadium.
“Just a rough inning for us,” the Yankees skipper finally said.
Those four words carried more weight than Boone may have realized. The seventh inning against Detroit was not just rough. It was historically catastrophic in ways rarely seen in Major League Baseball.
The Tigers’ 12-2 win in New York accomplished something that only one other team had done in the past 75 years. Two Yankees relievers combined for a nightmare outing that will be remembered long after this season ends.
Yankees allow nine runs in seventh inning
The game began with promise. Rookie right-hander Will Warren had pitched six solid innings, holding Detroit to two runs. The score remained tied 2-2 as Fernando Cruz entered to open the seventh.
Moments later, the game had slipped away.
Riley Greene doubled on Cruz’s first pitch. Three walks followed. A single drove in a run. Another walk forced in another run. Cruz left the mound without recording an out.
Mark Leiter Jr. entered with the bases loaded. His outing began with a bloop single that dropped in front of Anthony Volpe. He then hit a batter, walked another, and uncorked a wild pitch. Kerry Carpenter capped the rally with a two-run triple.
Neither Cruz nor Leiter recorded an out. Both allowed at least four runs. The Tigers turned a tie game into a 10-2 lead in minutes.
“I haven’t seen anything like that before,” Warren said, his six innings of steady work reduced to a footnote.
Cruz and Leiter set unwanted MLB record
The combination of Cruz and Leiter created franchise history. Never before had two Yankees pitchers each given up four or more runs without retiring a batter in the same game.
The significance reached beyond the Bronx. According to Stathead, only one other team in the past 75 years had suffered the same fate. The 1999 Los Angeles Angels did it on August 31 against Cleveland.
The Tigers sent 10 batters to the plate before Tim Hill finally recorded the first out. Detroit scored eight runs by that point. Fans showered the field with boos.
Fernando Cruz threw 20 pitches, only seven for strikes. Leiter threw 16 pitches, missing the zone with nine of them.
Bullpen ERA ranks near bottom of MLB
The collapse did not happen in isolation. It reflected season-long issues for the Yankees bullpen.
Entering Tuesday, Yankees relievers had a 4.40 ERA, ranking 22nd in the majors. Since August 1, the bullpen carried a 5.05 ERA, the fourth worst in baseball.
Those struggles are especially glaring after the front office added three relievers at the trade deadline to stabilize the unit. Instead of tightening up, the bullpen has become more erratic.
“We have the guys down there to get it done,” Boone said. “We just got to sync it up.”
Cruz had been a bright spot since coming off the injured list in late August. He entered the night with a 2.66 ERA and had dominated across seven outings, thanks to a sharp splitter. Against Detroit, he could not find the strike zone.
Yankees fall three games behind Blue Jays
The loss carried heavy consequences in the standings.
New York began the day one game behind Toronto in the American League East. A series win over Blue Jays had given the Yankees momentum. But while the Yankees collapsed, Toronto rallied past Houston.
Instead of trimming the deficit, the Yankees fell three games back with only 18 left to play. Toronto also holds the tiebreaker, turning the gap into an effective four-game margin.
The Yankees (80-64) now sit tied with Boston for the top American League wild-card spot. Every remaining game carries postseason implications.
Pitchers combine for six walks, one hit batter
The troubling part of the inning was not the five hits. It was the total lack of command.
Cruz walked three in his brief stint. Leiter walked one and hit another. Together, the Yankees gave up six free passes in one inning. According to research, they became the first team since September 2015 to allow at least six walks and hit batters in a single frame.
“[Cruz] couldn’t get in the zone enough there,” Boone said. “Obviously that inning gets away from us.”
Boone pointed to Leiter’s lack of recent action. The right-hander had pitched in only four games since August 25. That limited work showed in Tuesday’s disaster.
“Maybe that’s a little product of not having the consistent work,” Boone said. “I think his stuff’s okay.”
Yankees host Tigers again Wednesday night
Detroit batted around against two relievers who combined to throw 36 pitches. Just 14 were strikes. The nine-run inning set a new season high for runs allowed by New York in a single frame.
The previous worst had been seven earlier this season. Tuesday’s collapse shattered that mark while producing unwanted history.
“This is a sport that as you see, it’s not as easy as it looks,” Cruz said. “Sometimes you’re on top of the horse. Sometimes you get out of it. So you learn how to go on top again.”
Tim Hill finally got the Yankees off the field, earning sarcastic applause from the fans still in the stands.
Warren, who struck out five and gave his team a chance, could only sum up the mood.
“Come back out tomorrow and try it again,” the rookie said.
The Yankees host Detroit again Wednesday. After a collapse that made history, the series has taken on even greater weight for their playoff hopes. Some losses fade quickly. Others leave scars. Tuesday’s was the latter.
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