CINCINNATI — The New York Yankees‘ recent struggles reached another painful chapter Tuesday night. They dropped a grueling 5-4 decision to Cincinnati in 11 innings at Great American Ballpark.
The loss marked the Yankees’ ninth defeat in 12 games. Their once-comfortable lead in the AL East has shrunk to just one game over Tampa Bay. Late-inning collapses continue to plague the Bronx Bombers.
“We’ve got to figure it out. It’s on us,” captain Aaron Judge said after the defeat.
Reds rookie dominates early before Yankees respond
Cincinnati rookie Chase Burns delivered a spectacular major league debut. The right-hander struck out six of the Yankees’ first seven batters. His triple-digit fastball and devastating slider left Yankee hitters helpless early.
Ben Rice finally cracked Burns’ code in the fourth frame. He launched a 427-foot home run off an 89 mph slider for his 14th homer of the season. Anthony Volpe added a two-run triple that eluded diving center fielder TJ Friedl.
The three-run outburst gave the Yankees a commanding lead. But their advantage wouldn’t last long.
Rodon delivers before heat takes its toll
Carlos Rodon pitched admirably through six innings. He scattered four hits and issued just one walk. The 91-degree temperature at first pitch proved challenging for the Yankees’ veteran lefthander.
“I was huffing and puffing a little bit,” Rodon said. “Usually I go back out there in those situations. I want the ball. But I could tell I was gassed.”
Rodon departed with a 3-0 advantage after throwing 88 pitches. The Yankees’ bullpen couldn’t preserve his excellent work.
Jonathan Loaisiga entered but struggled immediately. Battling both illness and oppressive heat, he walked a batter and allowed two infield hits. Christian Encarnacion-Strand delivered the crushing blow with a bases-clearing double.
Loaisiga left the field tapping his chest, clearly exhausted.
Bullpen woes continue in extra frames
The Yankees’ relief corps remains severely taxed during this brutal 16-game stretch. Devin Williams threw only nine pitches in a clean ninth inning. Manager Aaron Boone held him back for the 10th.
Mark Leiter Jr. got the call despite pitching Monday night. He navigated the 10th without damage but couldn’t survive the 11th.
Elly De La Cruz beat out an infield single to start the frame. Spencer Steer followed with a game-tying hit. After Tyler Stephenson drew a walk, Gavin Lux ended the contest with a walk-off single.
“I fought as hard as I could,” Leiter said. “Unfortunately, I came up on the losing end. They beat me.”
The Yankees manager praised the effort as “a warrior’s effort.”
Offensive struggles persist in clutch moments
The Yankees’ inability to produce with runners in scoring position continues haunting them. They went 1-for-9 in such situations Tuesday. That followed a 0-for-12 performance the previous night.
Judge scored as the automatic runner on a wild pitch in the 11th. It marked their first extra-inning road run this season. But it wasn’t enough to prevent another heartbreaking loss.
“I feel quite certain we’re a really good offense,” Boone said. “We haven’t gotten some hits. … We’re going to break through and get hot here eventually.”
The Yankees are now 1-6 in extra innings this year. They’re 0-5 in such games on the road.
Oakland wind adds to Yankees’ loss
Tuesday’s collapse followed an equally maddening weekend series in Oakland. Wind conditions at Sutter Health Park created havoc with routine fly balls.
A Shea Langeliers drive appeared destined for an out before gusts carried it into the seats. The unexpected home run transformed a 6-4 Yankees lead into a 7-6 deficit.
“It was tough conditions,” Trent Grisham said. “The wind picked up late and was doing something different at the beginning of the game.” “It just kept carrying to the wall,” Boone added.
Grisham was also involved in a Tyler Soderstrom misplay one batter earlier. What seemed like a manageable fly ball became a double when the wind altered its trajectory.
Chisholm ejection exposes Yankees’ woes
Jazz Chisholm Jr. was ejected in the ninth inning Tuesday following a disputed strike call. The incident added unnecessary drama to an already frustrating evening.
Chisholm told umpire Mark Wegner: “That’s not a strike.”
The Yankees star claimed the umpire stared him down between innings while he took grounders. When Chisholm asked, “Why are you looking at me?” he was tossed from the game.
“I don’t want him getting tossed there,” Boone said. “I want me to get tossed there in those situations.”
The timing proved particularly poor. Judge had just encouraged Chisholm to “let that one go and change the game for us.”
Troubling trends continue
The Yankees now sit at 45-34 but have been outscored 34-27 over their last 12 contests. Judge remains the American League home run leader and provides steady leadership.
However, their margin for error continues shrinking. Tampa Bay keeps gaining ground in the division race.
Promising Yankees moments like Oswald Peraza’s go-ahead homer in Oakland and Rice’s power display get overshadowed. The bullpen’s inability to hold late leads remains problematic. The offense relies too heavily on solo home runs.
The Yankees closes the Oakland series on Sunday before traveling to Seattle. A challenging three-game set against the Mariners awaits them next week.
Max Fried, Bryce Miller, and Will Warren are scheduled to start for the upcoming series. The competition won’t ease up anytime soon.
A much-needed off day arrives Thursday. Until then, the message remains clear: Find a way to close out games.
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