The New York Yankees entered Monday with the obligation to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers to get back into the World Series. That, of course, did not happen and instead of being down 2-1 with a chance to make a comeback, the Bombers are now in a 0-3 hole, one that no one in the history of the Fall Classic has been able to overcome.
It’s baffling to see a team with such urgency to win being so passive at the plate. The Yankees watched fastball after fastball go by on Monday night, at home, with their season virtually on the line. Most of them were hittable.
To make matters worse, some of them were in hitters’ counts. A team that needs to win can’t stand there and virtually do nothing.
“The Yankees watched 24 four-seam fastballs go by for called strikes tonight. That’s the most by them in a single game this season and the second most by any team this season (Nats had 27 on May 4th),” Yankees analyst and X personality Jomboy posted, including a video of each one.
The Yankees’ passivity came back to haunt them
24 called strike fastballs is too much. There were many opportunities for them to inflict damage that they failed to capitalize on.
There has to be a change in philosophy ahead of Tuesday. Yes, every game is different, but a little aggressiveness should be beneficial for the team, especially in its current position. There is a chance the Dodgers adjust to the Yankees’ desperation and switch their strategy on Tuesday, adding more breaking balls, but it’s a risk the Bombers will have to take.
One more loss and the Yankees will go home with their hands empty. It’s time to be proactive and attack fastballs to give themselves a chance to come back in the series.