Aaron Judge
Aaron Judge sat out the spring training games on March 11, 2024. AP

After the strongest start to the season in 40 years, the New York Yankees tasted real defeat against Toronto Blue Jays this week. The Bronx Bombers lost a couple of away games in a row and subsequently ended up with their first series loss of the year.

Having said that, a couple of issues that were getting swept under the rug amid a strong run were duly exposed in this series. From Aaron Judge’s cornering offensive slump to Carlos Rodon’s inconsistent pitch count, the Yanks have a lot to introspect and fix before they march further into the season.

   

Aaron Judge’s Hitless Streak Leaves Yankees Miserable Vs Blue Jays!

Carlos Rodon, Yankees
(Mary Altaffer / Associated Press)

In an unprecedented situation, New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge hasn’t fired as expected on the plate. Before the Blue Jays series, he was hitting .182 with three home runs in 16 games. Unfortunately, the captain’s form went downhill against the Jays as he went hitless in the first two games. However, despite the slow start, the former MVP is taking up the setbacks to the chin and deeming it part and parcel of baseball. “You go through ups and downs like this every year,” Judge said. Amid unprecedented times, the captain is focused on getting side quests such as securing walks right to at least somehow stay involved in the game. And as far as the traditional form is concerned, he said that he is trying to work and improve his skills each day to break out of this slump.

On the other hand, Carlos Rodon had a rough night in Tuesday’s game vs the Blue Jays, as he allowed three earned runs in four innings pitched. Moreover, Rodon’s soaring pitch count raised alarm bells as it took him 101 pitches to finish just four innings. He admitted post-game that Blue Jays hitters made him toil hard on the mound. They stacked up good at-bats to put him under pressure. Regardless, Rodon stated that he needs to work more on his secondary pitches, such as cutters and changeups, to increase effectiveness in his starts. While the first series loss of the year was definitely brutal, it’s a perfect eye-opener the Yankees perhaps needed at this stage of the season. These issues must be fixed before the season advances further so that the Bombers can ensure a deep postseason run.

Yanks Bounce Back To Avoid Sweep Vs. Blue Jays!

Yankees
(AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)

Captain Aaron Judge finally broke out of his offensive slump on Wednesday as he scored a double run RBI in the ninth innings to push New York Yankees into lead vs Blue Jays. With the game slipping away, the hitters witnessed a late surge in the final innings, which created scoring opportunities.

Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, pinch hitter Jose Trevino and Giancarlo Stanton stepped up to contribute four runs in the ninth innings. While Blue Jays also managed to create a scoring opportunity, shortstop Anthony Volpe’s mind blowing play sealed an inspiring victory for the Yankees as they avoided a clean sweep in the three-game series.

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