New York Yankees 0, Atlanta Braves 5
ATLANTA — The Yankees (60-60) have experienced a four-game losing streak, bringing them to a .500 win-loss ratio. This is the first instance of the team being at .500 since they held a 15-15 record on May 1. The most recent occurrence of the Yankees concluding a day with a .500 or lower record this far into a season was on September 7, 1995, when their record stood at 61-61.
Bryce Elder and Marcell Ozuna held onto their self-confidence without wavering.
Their persistence is certainly yielding positive results.
Recovering from a challenging period, Elder delivered a strong performance, pitching seven innings and allowing just one hit. Ozuna’s three-run home run in the first inning provided him with all the necessary run support. This propelled the Atlanta Braves to a convincing 5-0 victory over the struggling New York Yankees.
Adding to the Braves’ success, Ronald Acuña Jr. also hit a home run. Notably, the Braves have dominated the series, outscoring the Yankees 16-3 in the first two games.
Elder, a first-time All-Star this season, mentioned that he wouldn’t claim to have been consistently confident. He explained that the approach is to disregard past uncertainties and focus on taking things step by step. He emphasized that the goal is to concentrate on making each pitch count and to accept the outcomes, whatever they may be.
He found no reason to express dissatisfaction following this game.
In the second inning, DJ LeMahieu singled to center field, marking the Yankees’ only hit of the game, which was the lowest count for the season. Unfortunately, he was eliminated as a result of one of the four double plays that his team hit into. Three of these double plays occurred against Elder, who managed to keep his interactions with the batters to a minimum.
Elder issued three walks and struck out three batters while using a total of 94 pitches. A.J. Minter and Kirby Yates each concluded an inning without allowing any hits, contributing to the Braves’ 12th shutout of the season.
Following an 11-3 victory in the first game of the series, the Braves wasted no time in capitalizing on Luis Severino’s (2-8) vulnerability. Severino’s season has been marked by unfavorable statistics, particularly in the first inning.
The pattern remained consistent when facing the Braves. When there were two outs, Ozuna skillfully sent his 24th home run of the season soaring beyond the center-field wall, resulting in a three-run score. This impressive home run also extended Ozuna’s hitting streak to 13 games and contributed to the Braves boasting a major league-leading total of 120 first-inning runs.
Back in April’s conclusion, Ozuna’s batting average stood at .085, and he had only managed a pair of solo home runs that accounted for his sole RBIs. This led to numerous fans urging for his removal from the team. Nevertheless, the Braves chose to continue supporting the robust designated hitter. Their decision has proven fruitful, as Ozuna has since maintained a batting average of .275, along with hitting 22 home runs and driving in 58 runs.
Should the Braves succeed in sweeping their series on Wednesday, New York (60-60) would encounter a dip below the .500 mark beyond the 120-game threshold of a season, a circumstance that hasn’t occurred since the Yankees held a 60-61 record on September 5, 1995, as reported by the Elias Sports Bureau.
Aaron Judge commented that the team wasn’t exhibiting their best effort, ultimately being the core issue.
For 30 consecutive seasons, New York has managed to achieve a winning record.
Manager Aaron Boone expressed the necessity for the team to individually take pride in their performance.
Having earned All-Star honors twice, Severino has faced the brunt of 23 earned runs within the initial inning of his 14 starts. This translates to an unfortunate ERA of 14.79.
In the fourth inning, Acuña punctuated Severino’s performance with his 26th home run, a two-run hit, also occurring with two outs, almost mirroring the location of Ozuna’s earlier shot.
The two runs scored from Acuña’s hit were not considered earned, as the inning began with third baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa not successfully fielding a soft ground ball, resulting in Sean Murphy reaching base.
Severino mentioned that he felt quite positive about his condition on that day. He believed he had control over all his pitches, although he acknowledged making a couple of errors. Regarding the pitch to Acuña, he expressed that he wasn’t upset at all, recognizing Acuña’s skill as a remarkable hitter.
UP NEXT
For the series finale, the Braves are set to have RHP Charlie Morton (11-10, 3.71) take the mound, while the Yankees might opt for a bullpen-based approach.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
