The Yankees couldn’t keep the momentum rolling on Monday afternoon, dropping a 6–2 loss to the Detroit Tigers under a flurry of snowflakes and missed opportunities. While the conditions were more fit for a football game in December than an April baseball clash, Detroit adapted better and left the Yankees looking a step slow.
Rice Keeps Raking, But Gets Caught
Ben Rice continued to be one of the brightest sparks in the Yankees’ lineup, slapping a triple in his first at-bat. However, his aggressive base running came back to bite him when he was picked off at third base, cutting a promising inning short.
Still, Rice wasn’t done contributing—he tacked on two walks to his afternoon and saw his slash line jump to an impressive .333/.471/.704 on the young season. That kind of on-base consistency at the top of the lineup is exactly what the Yankees have been hoping for.
Rodon Struggles, Despite the Strikeouts
Carlos Rodon took the mound with a lot to prove, especially with Gerrit Cole still on the shelf and the rotation already stretched thin. He struck out eight batters across six innings, but a few costly mistakes—compounded by a questionable ball call—led to five earned runs on his line.
Rodon now owns a 5.19 ERA this season, and while the stuff was there at times, one missed call opened the door for Detroit to do real damage. Andy Ibanez made the Yankees pay with a three-run homer that shifted the game’s tone.
Tigers Outduel the Bombers
The Yankees couldn’t crack Tigers starter Casey Mize, who looked sharp with six strikeouts across six innings, allowing just one earned run. The Bombers had their chances, tallying seven hits and three walks overall, but they couldn’t string together enough timely hits to break through.
Aaron Judge added a hit and an RBI, while Paul Goldschmidt picked up two more knocks, but the rest of the order remained largely quiet.
Bullpen Holds Up—But It’s Not Enough
On the bright side, the Yankees’ bullpen looked solid in limited action. Adam Ottavino and Tim Hill combined for two clean innings, keeping the game from getting out of hand. Unfortunately, the offense didn’t return the favor.
The Yankees will look to bounce back Tuesday and shake off the cold—both the weather and their bats.