The Yankees endured a harsh 8-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels in the second game of a doubleheader. The key moment of the defeat was a grand slam given up by rookie pitcher Will Warren to Zach Neto, which was part of a six-run second inning. Neto’s standout performance, featuring a career-high six RBIs, overwhelmed the Yankees and dashed their aspirations for a doubleheader sweep.
Yankees Can’t Contain Neto in Doubleheader Split
In the second game, the Bronx Bombers faced a defeat, primarily due to Zach Neto’s offensive outburst. The young infielder hit his first grand slam during a disastrous second inning for Yankees‘ rookie Will Warren. Neto’s bases-loaded homer capped off a six-run inning, turning a manageable 2-0 deficit into a daunting 6-0 gap for New York.
Warren, making his MLB debut, was close to escaping the inning when Neto hit a full-count pitch. The 412-foot shot landed in the Angels’ bullpen, marking Neto’s fifth home run in his last nine games.
Neto continued to trouble the Yankees, adding a two-run double in the fourth inning, extending the Angels’ lead to 8-1 and bringing his RBI total for the game to a career-high six.
The day had begun more promisingly for New York in the opening game. Rookie pitcher Luis Gil, despite control issues, managed to keep the Angels scoreless over five innings, allowing just two hits and setting the stage for the Yankees’ 5-2 victory. Even in that game, Neto hinted at his nightcap heroics by hitting a two-run homer in the seventh inning.
Offensive Struggles and Pitching Woes
The Yankees’ offense fell silent as the Angels exploded for eight runs, highlighted by a crushing grand slam. Mickey Moniak and Nolan Schanuel set the stage for Zach Neto’s big moment with an RBI single and a bases-loaded walk, respectively. Although DJ LeMahieu and Gleyber Torres each drove in a run, it wasn’t enough to prevent the Yankees from ending their ten-game streak of scoring at least four runs.
Aaron Judge, who had been on a hot streak, was relatively quiet in the nightcap after a strong first game. His single in the first inning provided a faint glimmer of hope amid the overall offensive struggles.
The Yankees’ pitching troubles were exacerbated by rookie Will Warren’s rough outing. Called up as the 27th man for the doubleheader, Warren’s second career start turned into a nightmare as he gave up eight runs on eight hits over just 4 1/3 innings, a performance that will be hard to forget.
The Yankees Roster
Up Next
On Thursday, the Los Angeles Angels’ left-hander Tyler Anderson, holding an 8-10 record and a 3.05 ERA, will go head-to-head against the Yankees’ southpaw Nestor Cortes, who has a 5-9 record and a 4.16 ERA.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
Will Warren was a good prospect & he may still develop into a good MLB pitcher, but this was NOT the year to give him a shot in the majors.
Warren’s 2024 AAA season has been beset by health issues & poor performance, to wit:
* Warren’s 2024 AAA ERA is 6.11. That’s SIX point 11.
* Counting Hits Allowed, Walks & Hit Batters, Warren has put 142 Runners on in 95.2 IP in AAA.
Do the above stats look like an MLB-ready pitcher to you?
No?! Well, I guess you’re not Brainless Brian Cashman, who did NOTHING to bolster the starting rotation at the trade deadline, even though 2 of our starters have been BAD-to-AWFUL for about 6-7 weeks now.
During the trade deadline, Cashman was Deaf, Dumb & Blind as the Dodgers swooped in & obtained the best-available pitcher in Jack Flaherty from the Detroit Tigers for a Laughably Package of 2 mediocre minor league prospects, one of whom is a YANKEES REJECT, Trey Sweeney.
The other prospect the Dodgers gave up or threw up is a 21-year-old catcher/1st baseman, who’s hitting an awesome .220 in A+ ball. Btw, that catcher was the 3rd-Ranked Catcher in the Dodgers’ minor-league system. So, the Dodgers presumably Yawned or Chuckled when they agreed to include him in the package for Flaherty. (“You seriously want him?! Okay!” Snicker, laugh & celebrate.)
So, that’s the package, Brainless Brian Cashman failed to match or exceed to get Jack Flaherty to bolster the Yankees’ rotation.
Wouldn’t it be horribly ironic if the Yankees lost the World Series to the Dodgers with Jack Flaherty on the mound?
How, oh, how would Brainless Brian explain THAT ONE to Hal & Yankee fans? I’m sure he’ll find a way of passing the buck for his Stupidity & Complacency. After all, Cashman excels at avoiding responsibility for His Numerous Failures. It’s ALWAYS Somebody Else’s Fault, right, Brian?