Bronx, NY. — The New York Yankees’ bullpen faltered once again Thursday night in the Bronx, handing the Boston Red Sox a 6-3 victory that cut into New York’s slim wild card lead. The defeat snapped a five-game winning streak and left the Yankees only a half-game ahead of Boston in the American League wild card race.
Doval’s struggles continue in key Yankees spot
Trade deadline pickup Camilo Doval again failed to protect the Yankees lead when manager Aaron Boone turned to him in the sixth inning. Given the ball with a 3-2 advantage, the right-hander recorded just one out while allowing the tying run to score.
Doval gave up two hits and issued a walk in the frame, marking his third straight outing in which he has been scored upon. Since joining New York on July 31, he has surrendered runs in four of his last five appearances and in five of nine total games with the Yankees.
“His stuff’s really good, obviously, just again it’s strike-throwing,” Boone said. “That next level of strike-throwing that allows you to be really, really good, and really, really sharp out there. Just not quite as sharp as when he’s at his best.”
The 28-year-old has allowed six earned runs in 7⅓ innings with New York, posting a 7.36 ERA while walking seven and striking out eight. That stands in sharp contrast to his 3.09 ERA across 47 appearances with the Giants earlier this season.
“Just adjusting to the role here now,” Doval said following the Yankees loss. “Just getting ready earlier, preparing myself earlier to go into the game. At the end of the day, I want to give 100 percent out there on the field. Sometimes the ball bounces your way and sometimes it doesn’t.”
Weaver falters on birthday outing
Luke Weaver, one of New York’s most dependable relievers this year, delivered the decisive mistake on his 32nd birthday. Entering in the seventh with the game tied, he yielded a single to Trevor Story before Nathaniel Lowe lined an RBI double that gave Boston the lead for good.
The sellout crowd of 47,036 at Yankee Stadium watched in frustration as the Yankees’ bats stranded 10 runners and managed just two hits with men in scoring position. The offensive struggles underscored the bullpen’s collapse, erasing the momentum from New York’s 14 home runs across the previous two nights.
Cashman’s deadline deals under scrutiny
General Manager Brian Cashman’s deadline trades to fortify the bullpen are drawing renewed criticism. On July 31, the Yankees sent four prospects to San Francisco in exchange for Doval, while also acquiring closer David Bednar from Pittsburgh.
Bednar has contributed three saves since arriving, but the unit remains erratic. Doval’s poor outings have highlighted questions over the Yankees’ evaluation of late-inning arms and their ability to handle the Bronx stage.
New York dealt pitchers Trystan Vrieling and Carlos de la Rosa, catcher Jesús Rodríguez and infielder Parks Harber for Doval, expecting him to stabilize setup situations. Instead, his inconsistency has added pressure on Boone and raised concerns about whether Cashman’s moves truly strengthened the roster.
Defensive miscues worsen Yankees’ night
The bullpen’s struggles were compounded by sloppy Yankees defense, with four errors leading to three unearned runs. The second inning unraveled with three miscues. Starter Luis Gil dropped a comebacker, Jazz Chisholm Jr. overthrew first base on a possible double play, and catcher Ben Rice’s errant throw on a stolen base attempt allowed Boston to score first.
“I feel like we definitely gave them spots to win,” Chisholm said. “I felt like tonight was one of those nights that we beat ourselves. Sometimes you’ve got to look in the mirror and say, ‘Hey, you beat yourself tonight. Tomorrow, come out better and focus more.’”
Red Sox rookies seize the moment
Boston rookie Roman Anthony capitalized on the Yankees’ mistakes. In his first game at Yankee Stadium, the 21-year-old tied the game in the sixth off Doval and later launched a two-run homer in the ninth off Yerry De los Santos.
The Red Sox have now taken six of seven games from New York this year, maintaining their edge in the rivalry despite hitting just 3-for-19 with runners in scoring position.
Wild card race tightens
The defeat dropped the Yankees to 69-58, only a half-game in front of Boston (69-59) for the top AL wild card slot. New York remains 4.5 games behind Toronto in the AL East and just 1.5 games up on Seattle for the third wild card position, with Kansas City lurking 3.5 games back.
Series shifts with playoff implications
The four-game series continues Friday night with postseason positioning on the line. After committing four errors and watching their bullpen surrender another lead, the Yankees face mounting pressure to steady themselves in the final stretch.
“We can’t fix what happened tonight,” Paul Goldschmidt said. “Any time you make errors, of course four, it’s gonna be hard to overcome. There’s a lot of good teams in this league. Anytime you give them extra outs, you just make it hard on yourself.”
Ben Rice was the offensive standout for New York, hitting two home runs and adding a triple in the seventh inning that went wasted when the Yankees failed to score.
Boston’s victory continued a recent trend of dominance in the rivalry, setting up a pivotal weekend in the Bronx with playoff stakes hanging in the balance.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
I am probably the hardest fan on Cashman you’ll find anywhere, but Cashman did try this deadline and made some moves, with only one move I wouldn’t have done (Bird).
When it comes to relievers, where I criticize Cashman is, while Gil, Warren, Schlittler, and all the top pitching prospects are great but they’re all starters. But where is the next Joba, DROb, or Betances?