After winning the first game of their three-game set against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday, the Yankees fell short with a 6–5 loss on Saturday afternoon. Despite some late offensive success, pitching woes, particularly from starter Will Warren, proved costly.
Warren’s Struggles on the Mound for the Yankees
Will Warren ended his performance with a 9.55 ERA, surrendering four earned runs over four innings, allowing five hits, and striking out three. Warren struggled significantly in the third inning, where he gave up four runs, quickly putting the Yankees in a 4-1 hole. The Cardinals added two more runs, but the Yankees mounted a comeback in the eighth inning, narrowing the gap to one run.
Missed Opportunities in the Eighth
Rookie catcher Austin Wells struck out on a breaking ball inside, despite Juan Soto and Aaron Judge getting on base with two outs. Wells, who had two hits in the game, shouldn’t shoulder the blame for the loss; the real issue was the pitching. In the ninth, Alex Verdugo had a lackluster at-bat after managing just one hit all afternoon, and Oswaldo Cabrera was called out on a pitch violation, striking out automatically.
Call for Dominguez’s Promotion
With Jasson Dominguez hitting two home runs recently and being eligible for promotion on Sunday, a call-up seems imminent. His addition could provide a much-needed spark to the lineup.
Defensive Discipline Remains a Concern
A lack of discipline continues to be a major issue for the Yankees, particularly on defense. If they can minimize their defensive errors, the Bombers could start turning some of these close games in their favor. Saturday’s loss underscores how disciplined play can impact wins and losses throughout a season.
Beyond Warren’s struggles, the Yankees’ trade deadline acquisition, Mark Leiter Jr., also faltered, giving up two runs over two innings. He now holds a 4.71 ERA for the season and has allowed at least one run in seven of his 14 appearances.
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Looking Ahead to Sunday’s Game
The Yankees will aim to bounce back on Sunday afternoon at 1:35 PM with Nestor Cortes taking the mound. Cortes delivered a strong start against Washington last week, giving up just one earned run over 6.2 innings. Impressively, Cortes has allowed only one run in his last three games combined, and he will look to build on those performances.