The Yankees were completely demolished on Monday against the Chicago White Sox, a team with a record of 29 wins and 91 losses this season. Losing 12–2 to a club of this caliber should not only be a wake-up call for the Yankees but also a warning sign of problems yet to come.
The Yankees Wasted Offensive Opportunities
The Bombers simply can’t perform at this level against better teams, especially if they manage to reach the playoffs and hope to make a deep push. Offensively, they contributed nine hits, doing more than enough to win the game if not for the pitching.
The Yankees picked up 11 walks but went 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position, leaving 16 men on base. Losing to a historically bad team and being blown out isn’t something we can easily push off. The Yankees need to actually digest what happened and understand this is a big problem.
Pitching Woes Highlighted
The pitching continues to be a major issue, with starter Luis Gil giving up four earned runs over four innings and newly acquired bullpen arm Enyel De Los Santos giving up seven earned runs over 1.2 innings. The Yankees simply can’t sustain this level of efficiency from their starting rotation and bullpen. After losing to Chicago in this respect, they now sit half a game behind the Baltimore Orioles in the American League East.
Chicago’s Recent Struggles
Chicago was coming off a 29-game losing streak before beating the Athletics last week and then being swept by the Chicago Cubs. They have scored seven runs or more just once in their last 30 games, so manager Aaron Boone needs to pick up the pieces and put together a far better product on Tuesday night.
Upcoming Matchup and Expectations
The Yankees will feature Nestor Cortes on the mound, who hosts a 4.42 ERA against Jonathan Cannon, who has logged a 3.91 ERA over 76 innings this year. Cortes has been extremely volatile recently, giving up 24 runs over his last five games combined.
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In his most recent appearance against the Los Angeles Angels on August 8, he gave up six earned runs over just 4.2 innings. The Yanks need more, and they need it now. Whether it be driving in runners in scoring position or simply pitching an efficient game against one of the worst teams in the sport, everything needs to improve.