The New York Yankees find themselves in an unusual predicament: elite pitching paired with offensive futility.
Clarke Schmidt continued his remarkable hot streak Monday evening, tossing 7 ²/₃ scoreless frames that extended his shutout streak to 18 ¹/₃ innings. Yet the Yankees’ bats remained silent for a 20th consecutive inning, resulting in a heartbreaking 1-0 extra-inning defeat to the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium.
The loss represents New York’s fourth consecutive setback — their longest slide of 2025 — and intensifies questions about a team that maintains its AL East lead despite alarming trends. The Bronx Bombers have managed just five runs over their past six games, dropping five contests in that span.
It also hands the Yankees the worst extra-inning record in MLB, with 2-for-26 and a mere .077 BA, as per Baseball Reference’s Katie Sharp.
Schmidt’s gem put to waste by Yankees’ offensive woes
The 29-year-old Yankees right-hander was masterful, utilizing his four-seam fastball, cutter, and sinker combination with pinpoint precision. Schmidt recorded three strikeouts without issuing a walk, surrendering only four hits over 101 pitches. Following Mike Trout’s first-inning single, he set down 16 consecutive hitters before allowing a sixth-inning base hit.
“I feel very comfortable out there,” Schmidt said postgame. “Not trying to do too much and staying within myself.”
This marked Schmidt’s third straight scoreless outing, a surge that began after rocky early innings against Cleveland on June 4. Since that adjustment, he’s performed like the frontline starter the Yankees need amid rotation concerns following injuries to Luis Gil and Marcus Stroman.
However, the Yankees have provided Schmidt with one run or fewer in three of his last four starts.
“[It’s] frustrating for sure,” Schmidt said. “Sometimes, you’re mashing the ball … sometimes, things aren’t going your way.”
Stanton’s comeback fails to end Yankees’ struggles
AP Photo/Pamela Smith
Giancarlo Stanton made his 2025 debut after missing 70 games with bilateral elbow tendinitis. The designated hitter showed no rust, collecting two hits including a ninth-inning double that offered brief hope.
“Great to be back. Obviously, I want to win, but it’s good to be back out there,” Stanton said after the game.
Despite Stanton’s encouraging return, the Yankees’ offensive shortcomings persisted. They managed just one hit in 18 at-bats with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 baserunners. For a club leading the American League in runs, home runs and on-base percentage, this extended slump defies explanation.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone acknowledged the team’s situational hitting failures.
“We had some leverage there late with a runner on second, and just couldn’t push it [across],” Boone said. “We had to take advantage of some situational things that come up.”
Missed opportunities plague Yankees throughout
The Yankees created numerous scoring chances but failed to capitalize. Stanton opened the ninth with a line-drive double off closer Kenley Jansen. Jazz Chisholm Jr. struck out, Jasson Dominguez got tangled up with third baseman Luis Rengifo on a rundown, and Austin Wells fanned to end the inning.
The 11th inning brought more frustration. Paul Goldschmidt began at second base as the automatic runner. Aaron Judge drew an intentional walk, and Cody Bellinger’s deep fly advanced Goldschmidt to third. Domínguez then grounded into a fielder’s choice that resulted in Goldschmidt being thrown out at home. The Yankees loaded the bases but Anthony Volpe grounded into another force play on the first pitch.
New York had four separate opportunities with a runner on second and nobody out. But the Yankees scored zero runs.
Angels find way to win with timely hit
Los Angeles struggled equally at the plate, going 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. But they managed the game’s decisive blow in the 11th inning. Christian Moore, who collected his first major league hit with an eighth-inning triple off Schmidt, scored on Nolan Schanuel’s soft double down the left-field line off Jonathan Loáisiga.
The Yankees bullpen had been nearly flawless recently, making the defeat particularly stinging. Loáisiga pitched effectively for two innings before surrendering the game-winner on a seeing-eye hit.
Concerns mount as struggles continue
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The Yankees have been shut out in back-to-back games for the first time since August 2023, when Atlanta accomplished the feat. This offensive drought spans 20 innings without a run and just five runs over 49 innings.
These struggles come at a critical time with the AL East tightening. New York’s division advantage has shrunk to 2.5 games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays.
But Schmidt maintains confidence in his teammates’ abilities.
“We all know what everybody’s capable of doing in here, so we’ll figure it out.”
The Yankees will try to avoid their first five-game losing streak since August 2023, when they dropped nine straight, as they meet the Angels again Tuesday. Right-hander Will Warren (4-3, 4.86 ERA) is scheduled to face Angels RHP Kyle Hendricks (4-6, 5.20 ERA). With offensive production at a standstill and fan patience wearing thin, the Yankees need answers immediately.
A digital technocrat-turned-baseball buff, Sara is an ardent follower of the New York Yankees. Born and brought up in New York City, she is a regular to games since she was a kid. Despite working as media strategist, baseball is her first love. She has been covering baseball games in the city as well as MLB and MiLB games involving the Yankees, the Mets, and their minor affiliates as a freelancer for different web and media publications. She works as a lead author for the Yankees-centered PinstripesNation since its very inception.
