If you watched the Yankees on Friday night, you’d never guess this was a team that made it to the World Series just last season. From the mound to the batter’s box, nothing about the performance screamed contender — in fact, it felt like a team searching for answers, not building off a championship run.
The Bombers were steamrolled by the San Francisco Giants, losing 9-1 in a game shortened to six innings due to rain. But even Mother Nature calling it early couldn’t save the Yankees from the embarrassment.
Stroman Implodes Again, Injury Follows
Marcus Stroman got the ball for his third start of the season and didn’t even survive the first inning. He allowed five runs on four hits, walking three and striking out one in just 0.2 innings. His ERA now sits at an alarming 11.57, and the problems didn’t stop with his performance.
After the game, manager Aaron Boone announced Stroman was sent for testing on his left knee, adding yet another layer of concern to a rotation already riddled with instability. Whether it’s injury-related or not, Stroman’s current form isn’t sustainable — for the Yankees or himself.
The Bullpen Offers No Relief
The bullpen didn’t help much, and in fact, made matters worse.
Ian Hamilton, Tim Hill, and Yoendrys Gomez combined to give up four earned runs and seven walks over just 2.2 innings. It was a carousel of missed spots and long at-bats, the kind of sloppy pitching that drags momentum even lower.
The lone bright spot came from Ryan Yarbrough, who tossed 2.2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts. It wasn’t anything groundbreaking, but at least he threw strikes and didn’t make things worse.
An Offense Completely Shut Down
The Yankees lineup looked lifeless against Giants starter Robbie Ray, who tossed four innings of two-hit, one-run ball. The offense mustered only two hits the entire game — a pair of singles from Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells.
Aaron Judge walked multiple times, but the hitters behind him couldn’t capitalize. The top four hitters combined for six strikeouts, and there was little urgency or energy from anyone in the lineup.
Yes, it was cold and rainy in the Bronx, but the weather doesn’t excuse the lack of effort or execution. This looked like a team sleepwalking through April, not one building toward another October run.
Saturday Brings a Chance to Reset
The Yankees and Giants will get back to it on Saturday afternoon at 3:05 PM, with the weather expected to clear up. After a flat-out embarrassing performance, the Yankees will need more than just sunshine to warm up. They’ll need a spark — and fast.