Once hailed as contenders for the World Series championship, the New York Yankees now find themselves in an unusual position. Seated at the bottom place of the AL-East division with a record of 60-65, the Bombers still remain 9.5 games below the playoff wildcard spot. Meanwhile, the ongoing series with a dispirited Washington Nationals seemed like a perfect comeback opportunity for the Yanks.
Washington Nationals ranks last in NL-East with 58-68 and has had an even worse season compared to the New York Yankees. Hence, the hosts entered the series as favorites due to home advantage. But the series opener turned out to be an absolute disaster. The Bombers, surprisingly, failed to keep it together towards the end and choked up pretty badly.
Yankees Lose To Nationals, Extends Troubling Losing Streak
On Tuesday, the New York Yankees were expected to hop back into the playoff race as they were set to face the lowly Washington Nationals. Moreover, the Bombers welcomed back starter Carlos Rodon from IL and had him start immediately. Rodon outweighed the expectations by leaking just one run in over six innings. The game was tied until Nationals’ CJ Abrams slammed a game-tying home run in the eighth inning. With that, the Bronx Bombers losing streak extended to nine, which is apparently the club’s longest losing streak since 1982. The present roster members were not even born during the time. Hence, the youth, who recently developed a taste for baseball, might be shocked to see the club’s dire state.
After the loss, manager Aaron Boone spoke to the media and said that the Yankee’s morale was definitely down. Having said that, Boone sent a clear message to the team. He said that giving up is not an option. The players need to turn up every single day and fight until it’s all over. While it is tough to get beaten up again and again, running away from a fight is also not an option. Further, Carlos Rodon, whose perfect start got wasted down in the eighth, said the losing streak is definitely unsettling. The pitcher added that he is just taking it one game at a time. The future is uncertain. Hence, the focus of the team remains on getting the job done tomorrow.
Will Yanks Record Worst Losing Streak In The History Of The Franchise?
Day after day, the New York Yankees are reaching a fresh low. The team has currently hit absolute rock bottom. After a 2-1 loss to the Nationals on Tuesday, the Bombers extended its losing streak to 9, the worst since 1982. As per statistics, the longest losing streak ever recorded in the history of the franchise was 12, which took place in 1908. The current roster needs three more defeats to become the worst unit the club has ever witnessed officially.
The New York Yankees have two games lined up against the Washington Nationals, followed by a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays. With the kind of baseball the team has produced till now, everything is plausible. Each and every scenario is on the table for now. Having said that, the gap to the playoff wildcard spot is increasing and has reached 9.5 games. The team has over 35 games in hand to make a difference.
