The Yankees head south to Tampa with a notable limp, scuffling as one of the worst teams in baseball of late as they prepare for their biggest series of the season.
In some ways, this week's four-game set with the first-place Rays could determine the Yankees' chances of winning the division and avoiding the three-game crapshoot that is the Wild Card Series. The Bombers enter this massive series four games back of Tampa, and a series loss could put them too far behind the pace where even a second-half surge would not be enough, much like last season when a furious rally fell short because of midsummer swoons that allowed the Blue Jays to pad a comfortable lead.
The division crown could be in the balance, and the Yankees could not look less prepared for it. An Anthony Volpe error led to a 29th unearned run in the Yankees last 15 games, the most by a Yankee team in that span since 1935, according to Stathead's Katie Sharp. The offense is still lifeless, as the Yanks managed a garbage-time run in the ninth on Sunday to avoid a shutout loss to Joe Ryan and company. Ben Rice, Cody Bellinger, and Jazz Chisholm continue to lag behind when they're needed most, while mounting injuries have the Yanks in dire straits. Gerrit Cole is struggling to find his form post Tommy John surgery, Cam Schlittler is coming off his worst start of the season, the bullpen bridge to David Bednar is wobbly at best, and the team's captain and MVP is at least weeks away from returning.
This weekend was supposed to be New York's get-right series with the team's favorite opponent coming to town in the Twins, a team the Yanks have owned more than nearly any other team has owned an opponent in any major sport. Instead, Minnesota took two out of three in the Bronx for the first time since 2014. On the heels of a seven-game losing streak, the Yanks looked no better over the weekend, and are seemingly staring at rock bottom when a series where they need to be at their best is staring them directly in the face.
This lifeless offense is about to head to a ballpark that has been a House of Horrors in recent years, and face the likes of Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen, and Griffin Jax. This Tampa team that many expected to roll over and concede the division after the surging Yanks overtook them earlier in June is now looking to bury the Yanks. Based on how the Yankees have looked of late, and the seeming lack of urgency on the field and in the clubhouse when speaking to reporters, from the manager on down to the players, they are ready to let the Rays take the AL East by the horns and leave the Bombers in their dust, unless something changes drastically and immediately.
The Yanks are no stranger to summer slumps. While they always seem to come out of them, they still leave damage that is felt in October, whether it be needing to fight through a three-game Wild Card Series or playing without home field advantage in a five or seven-game series. The turnaround has to happen now, or the damage from this slump may become irreparable.
The AL East could be on the line this week given how the Bombers have looked of late.
The AL East could be on the line this week given how the Bombers have looked of late.
