The New York Yankees asked Austin Slater, a position player, to pitch the ninth inning against Detroit. That’s how fans who didn’t catch the game know that things went downhill fast.
The Tigers hammered the Yankees 11-1, handing New York another embarrassing loss in a series that now feels like quicksand.
Slater, remarkably, was the only reliever who escaped unscathed, tossing two outs without surrendering a run in mop-up duty.
Despite losses from the Red Sox and Blue Jays keeping the standings still, the Yankees squandered an important opportunity Wednesday night.
Yankees bullpen continues downward spiral
Tuesday’s bullpen meltdown saw Fernando Cruz and Mark Leiter Jr. give up nine runs in an ugly 12-2 defeat.
Wednesday wasn’t much better. Carlos Rodón gave the Yankees six strong innings before the relief corps unraveled spectacularly once again.
Leiter, Camilo Doval, Tim Hill, and Luke Weaver combined to allow nine runs in less than three innings of work.
Detroit teed off with three home runs against them, turning Yankee Stadium into something that resembled a casual batting practice session.
By comparison, Slater allowing only one hit without a run looked almost competent results-wise despite tossing 40-mph meatballs. That’s a sad commentary on the bullpen’s state.
Per Bryan Hoch, the Yankees’ 4.40 bullpen ERA is 22nd in MLB. That’s just not going to cut it.
For a team with championship aspirations, watching relievers collapse nightly is like watching cracks splinter across a once-strong foundation.
Yankees offense equally lifeless
The bullpen wasn’t the only disaster. The offense offered little resistance, managing just one run after Tuesday’s weak two-run showing.
Detroit scored more runs in the eighth inning Wednesday than the Yankees totaled across the last two entire games combined.
Austin Wells’ late home run provided the only scoring, but it came with the outcome long decided and morale already flat.
In total, New York scattered just seven hits without a single player recording more than one, a discouraging pattern of inconsistency.
Extra-base hits were scarce, with only two on the night, leaving the Tigers’ pitchers largely unbothered and cruising through the lineup.
If the Yankees hope to salvage the series finale Thursday, they must find some urgency at the plate immediately.
Carlos Rodón shines amid chaos
The lone bright spot was Carlos Rodón, who continues to look like the ace the Yankees envisioned when they signed him.
Rodón delivered six innings of two-run baseball, striking out six while limiting the Tigers to just five hits and one walk.
His 3.11 ERA reflects how steady he’s been, and with strong finishes, he could dip under the 3.00 mark this year.
Rodón’s consistency provides a glimmer of hope for a rotation that has otherwise been overshadowed by the bullpen’s nightly implosions.
Watching him battle while the bullpen collapsed was like seeing a captain steer a sturdy ship through stormy, reckless waters.
Still, his strong outing feels wasted, buried beneath a collapse that again highlighted the Yankees’ most glaring weakness: relief pitching.
A crossroads moment for the Yankees
The Yankees can no longer ignore their bullpen woes, with each game offering painful reminders of how fragile this roster feels.
Austin Slater shouldn’t be the night’s most effective pitcher, yet that’s exactly what happened in a humiliating Bronx display.
Offensive droughts only magnify the bullpen’s cracks, creating a vicious cycle that leaves even strong starts unrewarded and fans restless.
New York’s margin for error in the playoff chase is shrinking, and Detroit exposed exactly where the vulnerabilities lie most clearly.
Unless the bullpen regains stability, the Yankees risk watching a promising season slip through their fingers like sand on the shore.
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