Aaron Judge speaks out on Yankees’ free fall
Jul 15, 2019; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) goes to the dugout between innings against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Yankees have not missed the playoffs since 2016, the year Aaron Judge made his MLB debut late in the season. After an embarrassing showing on Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves, the Yankees’ chances of extending their postseason streak appear to be in serious peril.
The Yankees had just one hit in their 5-0 defeat against the Braves. The loss was the Yankees’ fourth in a row, dropping their record to 60-60. Their recent slide now has them 6.5 games out of the final AL Wild Card spot entering Wednesday.
Judge condemned the Yankees’ effort following the loss Tuesday. The reigning AL MVP was hitless with two walks in the contest.
“We’re not showing up. That’s what it comes down to,” Judge told reporters, via Gary Phillips of New York Daily News. “We’re not showing up when we need to, especially down the stretch… We got every opportunity to keep ourselves in the race. We’re not capitalizing when we need to.”
The Yankees managed to draw five walks to get some baserunners despite the lone hit. However, they grounded into four double plays that eliminated any scoring opportunities.
The Yankees found themselves in a 3-0 hole in the very first inning, a familiar scene when Luis Severino is on the mound. The 2-time All-Star owns a bloated 14.79 ERA in inning number one across 14 starts.
Judge and the Yankees will be looking to avoid a series sweep against the Braves on Wednesday. Another loss would drop the their record to below .500 for the first time this season.
