The New York Yankees just stumbled into some truly lousy history. They got shut out 3-0 by the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday, and that loss came with a dubious milestone attached. The Yanks have now gone 20 straight games without scoring more than five runs. That ties a franchise record. The last time they pulled that off? 1968 and 1991. Neither of those seasons ended with a parade.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today flagged the stat after the game. The Yankees are five games back of the Rays in the AL East right now. And honestly, it feels worse than that considering how they’re playing. They’ve dropped eight of their last ten. Since June 18, they’ve lost 13 out of 17. July so far is a brutal 1-9. High strikeout rates, shaky pitching, and defensive miscues have all piled up at once.
The Defense Is Bleeding Runs
Over the last 15 games, the Yankees have allowed 29 unearned runs. That number is staggering. You can’t win consistently when you’re basically handing extra outs and extra bases to the other team. The pitching staff hasn’t been sharp either, but it’s hard to blame them entirely when the defense behind them keeps springing leaks.
At the plate, it’s even uglier. The Yankees have scored just 47 runs across those 15 games. That averages out to barely over three runs per game. In today’s MLB, that’s not going to cut it against anyone, let alone a division rival like the Rays who are playing with real confidence.
Missing Aaron Judge Changes Everything
Aaron Judge is still out with a rib injury. That’s a massive hole in the middle of the lineup. Cody Bellinger and Ben Rice have tried to step up, but neither has been able to consistently produce. The lineup just doesn’t have the same fear factor without Judge in there. Opposing pitchers are attacking weaker spots and the Yankees haven’t found an answer.
The 1968 team finished 83-79, which was their first winning season since 1964 when they went to the World Series. The 1991 squad was a flat-out disaster, going 71-91 and finishing dead last in the AL East. This current team is clearly more talented than those rosters. But talent doesn’t automatically translate to runs on the scoreboard. At some point, you have to actually hit the ball.
The Yankees still have time to turn this around. They’re not buried yet. But if the defense doesn’t tighten up and the bats don’t wake up soon, this record could be the least of their worries. Right now, they look like a team stuck in quicksand, and every game seems to pull them deeper.
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