New York Yankees 0, Atlanta Braves 2
ATLANTA — On Wednesday night, Charlie Morton achieved 10 strikeouts over six innings, while Eddie Rosario smacked a two-run home run, propelling the Atlanta Braves to a 2-0 victory against New York. This win marked the conclusion of a three-game sweep and handed the struggling Yankees their inaugural losing record this season.
With a final score of 18-3 in the series sweep, New York (60-61) faced their fifth consecutive loss, enduring back-to-back shutouts in the process. On the other hand, the Atlanta Braves (78-42) have clinched four shutout victories in their most recent seven games, solidifying their position as the team with the best record in the majors.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, this marks the first instance since September 5, 1995, when the Yankees were also at a 60-61 record, that they find themselves with a losing record after at least 120 games into a season, placing them at the bottom of the standings.
Having maintained a playoff presence since 2016, the Yankees entered the evening trailing the AL’s final wild card spot by a margin of 6 1/2 games. Over the past 30 seasons, New York has consistently achieved winning records.
In the preceding 5-0 loss on Tuesday, the Yankees struggled to muster more than a single hit. Prior to this game, their batting average stood at .232, surpassing only Oakland’s .222 record across the major leagues. Against a combined effort from Charlie Morton and relief pitchers Pierce Johnson, Kirby Yates, and Raisel Iglesias, the Yankees’ offensive capabilities remained subdued, culminating in a mere four hits. In the ninth inning, Iglesias secured his 23rd save of the season.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone mentioned before the game that it was a collective responsibility, stating that the players were adequately prepared and desirous of success. However, he acknowledged that the team had not been achieving the desired outcomes consistently.
Recording his 26th career game with a minimum of 10 strikeouts, Charlie Morton (12-10) permitted four hits and a lone walk. Throughout his career, he achieved this milestone. His sole instance of a double-digit strikeout performance this season took place during a 12-0 victory over Texas on May 15, where he struck out 10 batters.
In his fourth career start for the Yankees, rookie right-hander Randy Vásquez (2-2) yielded two runs across 3 1/3 innings.
Driving in Marcell Ozuna, who initiated the second inning with a double off Vásquez, Rosario’s home run sailed to center field.
In the fourth inning, Aaron Judge managed a one-out single and advanced to third base following Giancarlo Stanton‘s walk. The inning concluded as Morton struck out Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Billy McKinney.
Proceeding to the sixth inning, Morton continued his pitching prowess by striking out Judge, Stanton, and Kiner-Falefa consecutively after Gleyber Torres had singled to start the inning.
A total of 40,743 spectators were present, marking the 43rd sellout of the season at Truist Park. The previous record, set last year, was 42 sellouts for the park, which opened its doors in 2017, following Atlanta’s victory in the 2021 World Series.
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New York will make their way back home after a day off on Thursday. The Yankees are yet to declare their starting pitcher for the Friday night game against their AL East rival, Boston.
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