Sunday’s 14-7 humiliation against St.Louis Cardinals was an eye opener for New York Yankees as they continue to hustle for the playoffs. In true sense, the Yanks 2024 season has been better compared to last year where the team fell out of playoff races with shambolic 82-80 record.
However, the trend of second half collapse is something the New York Yankees cannot shake off. After the recent series loss to St.Louis Cardinals, the club’s lead in AL-East division is reduced to nothing. Yet, the team refuses to embrace urgency and instead posed a defiant tone in the post match press interviews.
Nestor Cortes Defends Yankees’ Series Loss, Citing AL-East Standings
A series loss often exposes a team’s shortcomings in clutch situations and ability to absorb pressure. However, for the New York Yankees, back-to-back series losses mean nothing. After bowing down to lowly Washington Nationals on the road, the Yanks dropped the second series in a row against the St.Louis Cardinals on Sunday. With that loss, the Yanks record since June 12th dropped to 30-37, and the lead in AL-East is reduced to just 0.5 games over defending champions Baltimore Orioles. Not only that but the record of the Bombers’ past 5 games stands at 1-4. While the recent skid is a matter of concern, the team is not looking to kick in a sense of urgency anytime soon.
After the 14-7 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday, starting pitcher Nestor Cortes argued that even though the New York Yankees appear to be playing badly, they still remain in sole possession of the AL-East division. “It goes to show that it’s there for us to take,” Cortes said. Notably, Cortes was a big reason for Sunday’s implosion as he struggled with his command under damp conditions. In four innings, he allowed 5 earned runs on 9 hits and struck out only 2 batters. With that, Crotes’ season ERA soared to 4.08 across 28 starts. Meanwhile, Yankee manager Aaron Boone expressed his disappointment with the series loss and deemed it a missed opportunity to advance in the playoff race. However, the impending schedule is another chance for the Yanks to erase the skid and hopefully add crucial wins to their AL-East record.
Clarke Schmidt, Luis Gil Likely To Return In Chicago
Meanwhile, the New York Yankees rotation could soon receive big boost as two starters advance in rehab outings. Luis Gil made a rehab start with Double-A Somerset Patriots on Sunday whereas Clarke Schmidt is scheduled to throw on Monday. If all things go well, the duo stands a good chance to be inducted back into the rotation next week on road in Chicago.
However, the New York Yankees are yet to take a call on ideal rotation combination. Top pitching prospect, Will Warren has vacated a space after he was sent down to minors following a blowout start against the Cardinals on Saturday. While the Yanks are keen on reinstating Gil as starter despite innings count workload, Schmidt will likely have to settle for a bullpen role.
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