Masahiro Tanaka
(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Following a series sweep by Houston, the New York Yankees dropped a series at home against the Chicago White Sox. Masahiro Tanaka struggled in the final game of the series, which the Yankees lost by a score of 5-2.

James Kelly

The postgames this week have been tough. After getting swept by the Houston Astros, the New York Yankees lost two of three to a Chicago White Sox team that should serve as an afterthought. It’s rather demoralizing heading into an off-day before a two-game set with the Boston Red Sox.

Masahiro Tanaka came back down to Earth

Tanaka’s start to 2019 had been nothing short of a godsend. The Yankees needed someone to step up and be an ace in Luis Severino’s extended absence. Tanaka answered that call three starts in a row. Prior to Sunday’s game, the Yankees veteran had pitched 18.1 innings allowing only three earned runs.

Against the White Sox, Tanaka pitcher four innings and gave up five earned runs on seven hits and three walks.

The most frustrating thing about his outing was how strong he looked early. He cruised through three innings before losing his splitter, loading the bases, and giving up a short porch grand slam to Chicago shortstop Tim Anderson.

Luis Cessa entered in the fifth inning and the bullpen allowed no earned runs for the rest of the game.

The offense isn’t operating with any consistency

The Yankees runs on Sunday came courtesy of a Luke Voit double in the first and an Aaron Judge single in the third. After Judge’s RBI single, the offense was essentially non-existent.

Even DJ LeMahieu, the consensus greatest hitter of all time, couldn’t manage to find a hit on Sunday. His batting average on the year has now lowered to a putrid .396.

In fact, Gio Urshela’s single in the seventh was the only Yankees hit following the third inning. Even more concerning, the only Yankees baserunners after the third inning were Urshela and Judge, who reached on a throwing error in the eighth.

Even considering that the Yankees on the injured list could probably beat the Yankees on the 25-man roster, two baserunners in six innings is maddeningly frustrating.

Aaron Judge‘s defense is the stuff of legend

Not everything from Sunday’s game was a negative, however; Judge played an outstanding game defensively. The outfielder robbed what would have been the second grand slam of the game and had a strong outfield assist.

Judge has been a breath of fresh air offensively and defensively this year. He’s giving everything he’s got to keep the Yankees afloat through the never-ending slew of injured list stints.

The Yankees quite simply need to play better going forward. Every day it seems like a different part of the team is struggling. One game the defense looks like that of a 12u travel team, the next day the “greatest bullpen in baseball” can’t string two outs together, and the next the offensive is asleep at the wheel for innings at a time.

Even considering all the injuries, this team is too talented to lose games like Sunday’s.


Lifetime ballplayer and Yankee fan. Strongly believe that the eye-test and advanced stats can be used together instead of against each other.