New York Yankees: Good news and bad news following an unlucky loss against the Mets in game two

New York Yankees, Aroldis Chapman
Sep 20, 2018; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman (54) walks to the dugout against Boston Red Sox during the eighth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees were on top late yet again against the Mets. But the theme of the last few games for the Yankees seemed to come back once again. The Yankees were up 3-2 going into the bottom of the 7th. Aroldis Chapman came in the game and gave up a walk-off two-run home run to Amed Rosario. 

In the last two doubleheaders, the Yankees have been swept. That’s the seventh straight loss for New York, and it seems to be in worse fashion every game. Their inability to finish games is causing them to drop in the division race.

FINAL SCORE: 4-3

New York Yankees good news and bad news:

GOOD NEWS:

The Yankees put themselves in another situation to win. Without some of their best, the Yankees were close to pulling out a victory but simply couldn’t get over the hump. The Yankees are getting better on offense, which is a really encouraging sign. This loss, like many others during this streak, was very unlucky. When is the last time you saw a team hit a walk-off home run on the opposing team’s field? Now, there haven’t been many opportunities for something like that to happen, but it goes to show how weird this streak has been. Once the offense and pitching click, the Yankees will be a top tier team once again. 

Aaron Hicks is starting to get his swing back and looks more confident at the plate. His overall approach looks a lot better. That is very encouraging from a guy the Yankees expect a lot from. 

BAD NEWS:

The bullpen is struggling. The starting pitching lately has been great, and the staff has really given the Yankees a great chance to win in many games. The bullpen, however, is doing the opposite. In the second game, it was Aroldis Chapman. He gave up a walk-off home run and blew another Yankees lead. His fastball wasn’t there, and he was trying to force the slider too much. This caused one to hang over the middle of the plate. 

The Yankees will start to get their meat of the lineup back as the season continues. This will give them a chance to clean up the mess that they’ve made and hopefully regain dominance over the AL East once again.