Yankees Takeaways: Swept out of Fenway Park

BOSTON, MA --- The Yankees have been swept in the four-game series at Fenway Park, losing on 'Sunday Night Baseball' 5-4 in 10 innings. The Red Sox had been one of the worst teams in baseball this season, but they sure did not show it in this series. The Yankees' bats were completely silent in the game against Sonny Gray, and a critical error in the fourth inning led to the Yankees being swept in four games by Boston for the first time since August of 2018.

"That's what we do, baby. You've gotta love this stuff. You've gotta eat this stuff up. It's a sickness. That's what the grind is." Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of being swept.

"We got a really good freaking team. We played crappy on this trip, kind of. It feels bad, kind of pissed off, right? But it's what we do. It's what you sign up for. We'll dig ourselves out of it and get it going here in short order, but the bottom line is we didn't play well this weekend, and we gotta do better."

The Yankees rallied late against Aroldis Chapman to tie the game in the top of the ninth inning but could not close it out in extra innings and got walked off. The swings of emotions were big in this one, but not in favor of the Yankees.

The Comeback and Collapse

The Yankees trailed by two in the ninth against their former closer Chapman. Helped out by an error in right field, the Yankees would tie the game to send it to extra innings.

In the top of the 10th, it took another error from the right fielder Abreu for the Yankees to score a run. A bunt and an RBI fielders choice later, the Yankees led by two.

They turned to Fernando Cruz to try and earn the save. He could not. He allowed a single, a double, and a sac fly, and with a five-man infield, a fly ball found grass for a walk-off RBI single, and the Yankees were swept. Cruz did not have command of his splitter tonight, which did not help the situation, but he was totally hit around, and it led to the worst loss of this Yankee season.

"The best teams go through stretches like this, and champions and great teams in history go through stretches like this, and especially games like this." Cruz said of the loss. "For me, it's a formation. It's something that is forming me into a better athlete and a better pitcher, and I'm gonna be better next time."

The Lack of Offense Early

The Yankees were five outs away from being no hit. Plain and simple. Gray dominated the Yankees' lineup tonight, and they had no answers. It was clear as the game went on Gray was beginning to tire, but he still looked untouchable.

"I think overall, not swinging the bats great this weekend. I felt like we got some pitches to hit, you know, some, some in the center of the plate, where he was coming after us, and just, you know, maybe just missed a couple of them, or just didn't put them in play with enough authority," Boone said.

"And then, on top of that, then he was carving too, moving the ball the different ways, like he does the cutter, the sinker; he spins it really well, but I felt like we got a handful of pitches that we didn't take advantage of, and that's kind of hurt us this weekend, and you know that's where we've got to get back on track as a group over this past week or so."

The Yankees had their first baserunner come on a two-out walk in the fifth inning by Amed Rosario. Rosario broke up the no-hitter in the eighth inning with a clean single up the middle. Gray absolutely tore their lineup down from top to bottom in the outing. It was one of the more embarrassing games from the Yankees lineup in some time.

The Defense

Once again, the defense is the story of the game for the Yankees, the second time this series. After Rodon issued a one-out walk to Wyler Abreu, Wilson Contraras bounced a ball to third that was bobbled and thrown offline by Oswaldo Cabrera. It set the Red Sox up, who scored two runs on a two-run single by Caleb Durbin. Rodon threw almost 40 pitches in the frame after the error was committed.

https://twitter.com/TalkinYanks/status/2071389994141282560?s=20

It's tough because he was just recalled this week from AAA and will likely be sent down, but in the midst of an offensive slump, certain plays need to be made, and that is one of them.

The Jazz Ejection

The Yankees' lineup is in a collective slump. They look plain bad. In the midst of getting no-hit, Jazz Chisholm Jr. took a half swing on a 2-2 pitch, and the home plate umpire, Adam Hamari, called the swing himself. Chisholm Jr. was not pleased with the call after pleading with the umpire and spiking his helmet; he was subsequently ejected from the game.

https://twitter.com/TalkinYanks/status/2071399662334959965?s=20

With everything going on in the game, Chisholm Jr. could not afford to get thrown out of the game. They needed their leadoff hitter (for today) and a guy with pop in their lineup if the situation ever came up that they would need a big hit, but it was too late.

To make things worse, Chisholm Jr. left the ballpark early and was not available postgame to meet the media.

https://twitter.com/GaryHPhillips/status/2071426351114895737?s=20

The Yankees are mercifully coming home from their 2-5 road trip to face the Tigers once again. Tomorrow, it will be Ryan Weathers on the mound with Casey Mize on the mound for the Tigers (full series probables below). First pitch will be at 7:05pm on YES.

MON: LHP Ryan Weathers (3-5, 3.95) vs. RHP Casey Mize (2-5, 2.95)

TUES: RHP Cam Schlittler (8-4, 1.62) vs. LHP Tarik Skubal (3-4, 3.32)

WED: RHP Will Warren (7-3, 3.75) vs. RHP Troy Melton (4-1, 2.39)