NEW YORK, N.Y. — The Bronx has not seen as dismal a start to a baseball season in a long time. Last week, the New York Yankees fell to 5-10 and held the worst record in the American League. The last time the Yankees were at the bottom of the AL, at any point, was 1968. This team is not built to be a bottom-of-the-barrel team; at $163,518,586, their 26-man payroll is the 2nd-highest in the MLB.
The Yankees were seemingly back on track when they defeated the Atlanta Braves (7-10) on Tuesday. However, the matchup on Wednesday brought more trouble for the Yankees, particularly on offense; the Yankees managed just one run as the Braves handled the Yankees 4-1.
In the 4th inning, the Braves got on the scoreboard thanks to the Yankees pitchers’ mistakes. Four walks in the inning were detrimental; the Braves scored a run with a sacrifice fly and on a bases-loaded walk to open up a 2-run lead. The Braves got two more runs down the stretch, with one coming on an Austin Riley solo-homerun in the 9th.
Meanwhile, the Braves pitching staff was putting in work against the loaded Yankees lineup. Starter Ian Anderson picked up his first win of the season with 6.2 scoreless innings and 4 strikeouts. As a whole, the staff allowed just 5 hits while racking up 6 Ks.
Bottom of the Barrel
Overall, the loss continues some concerning trends for the Yankees. With their five-game homestand coming to a close, they leave going just 1-4. The Yankees are now 1-6 in their last 7 outings and 3-9 in their last 12. At 6-11, they are tied with the Minnesota Twins for the worst record in the AL and 2nd worst in baseball.
This game served as a paradigm for the Yankees’ struggles this season. In the 2021 season, the pitching staff has not been an issue. Entering Wednesday’s game, the Yankees pitching staff held a 3.44 ERA, the 2nd lowest in the AL. Starter Corey Kluber picked up his 2nd loss of the year even though he pitched okay. In his 4.2 innings of work, he allowed just 2 earned runs on 2 hits. The three Yankees’ relievers combined to allow just 2 more hits and 1 more earned run.
At this point, the Yankees’ star bats need to start providing. Many of their best players have provided in ways but have lacked in other areas. Designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton leads the team with 12 RBIs but is hitting just .158 on the year. Centerfielder Aaron Hicks has also struggled, hitting just .154 on the season. As a team, their .205 batting average ranks 2nd worst in the MLB.
Moving forward, the team will need to find some run support for their pitchers. Through 17 games played, they have scored just 59 runs; that is the 3rd lowest total in baseball. This game puts the Yankees at 0-6 on the year when they score 2 runs or less.
Up Next
Yankees @ Indians, Thursday, April 22, Progressive Field, Cleveland, Ohio
Braves vs. Diamondbacks, Thursday, April 22, SunTrust Park, Atlanta, Ga.
