The alleged Bronx Bombers are bombing out right in front of everyone’s eyes.
New York entered its ALDS against the Blue Jays with a decided power edge.
The vaunted power has short-circuited in a series that is inching ever so closer to ending short.
The unthinkable sweep is now in play.
Even if the Yankees manage to capitalize on home field advantage in the next two games, baseball’s rules mandate New York must return to Toronto for Game 5.
Following Sunday’s Game 2 loss, the Yankees have now gone 1-9 in the 6ix.
Deep-sixed is the fate that awaits the reigning AL champions if something dramatic does not change by the time New York’s charter lands in the Big Apple.
There’s no other way to describe the opening two games other than to say New York has been an abomination.
New York’s high-priced hitters were completely flummoxed by Jays rookie starter Trey Yesavage in Game 2.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone has gone on record as saying the current edition is the best team he has had.
Suffice to say, the best has yet to emerge as the Yankees have been pushed to the precipice because they’ve been playing like pushovers.
In a six-inning stretch across the opening two games, the Yankees gave up 19 runs.
The lopsided nature of Game 2 did allow Boone to plan for a do-or-die Game 3 and will be encouraged at the way his team did not throw in the towel once Yesavage was pulled.
The following are three takeaways from an utterly brutal day and equally brutal 13-7 loss as the Yankees’ experience and leadership will be fully tested in the coming days; one adjustment Boone must make is replace Ben Rice for Paul Goldschmidt at first base and insert Rice behind the plate for Austin Wells.
1. You be the Judge
Aaron Judge took plenty of heat for his at-bat Saturday with none out in the sixth inning and the bases loaded.
He chased a pitch well outside the zone to strikeout.
Judge isn’t alone because the entire lineup has been woefully inept.
He was charged with a fielding error in right field Sunday, but given the course of events that plagued the Yankees it hardly resonated.
Judge needs to find his power stroke at home.
In two games at the Rogers Centre, the Jays went deep seven times, while holding the Yankees to one dinger, which came with the visitors trailing 12-0 on a Cody Bellinger two-run blast.
For what it’s worth, Judge did record New York’s first hit Sunday on an infield hit to raise his post-season average to .412, but his only extra base hit was a double in Game 1.
Judge came to the plate with one out in the seventh inning with the bases loaded in a 13-2 game.
He faced Tommy Nance, the fourth reliever used out of Toronto’s bullpen.
A jam shot up the middle scored a run as Judge recorded his eighth hit of the playoffs.
He drew a walk in his final at-bat to reach base for third time.
By the way, Judge’s batting average heading to the Bronx is .444.
2. Fried gets fried
What does it say when a staff ace can’t live up to the moniker in the biggest game of the season?
It says the Yankees are in deep trouble.
Max Fried didn’t get much help behind him, but that is hardly news given New York’s penchant for failing to make plays when balls are put into play.
Ernie Clement touched Fried on two off-speed pitched, the first on a two-run homer, the second on an RBI single.
Through three innings, Fried’s pitch count had risen to 40 as he gave up five runs on seven hits.
He was hit hard and only managed to record nine outs before Fried was mercifully relieved after a walk was yielded in the fourth inning after Fried gave up a leadoff single.
The veteran whom the Yankees paid big money in free agency versus a rookie making only his fourth-career start in the show, Fried had to step up.
Instead, he was stepped on and stomped on.
Sunday’s loss dropped Fried’s career post-season record to 2-6.
3. Stanton stuck in mud
Last fall, Giancarlo Stanton was named MVP of the ALCS in staking the Yankees to their first pennant since 2009.
Fast forward to this fall and the big thumper is experiencing a dramatic fall from grace.
When he struck out to leadoff the second inning, Stanton’s batting average five games into the post-season plummeted to .063.
His average cratered to .059 when Stanton grounded out in the fifth inning.
He did stroke a double in the sixth inning, the fourth straight hit recorded by the Yankees, as some momentum, finally at least, was created.
Stanton added a two-run single to cap a five-run seventh inning by the Yankees.
The game ended on a Stanton strikeout.
Up next
The best of five series shifts to the Bronx for Tuesday night’s Game 3 as New York will feature its second successive lefty when Carlos Rodon gets the scheduled start (8:08 p.m. first pitch); in six regular-season games versus the Jays, the Yankees went 4-2 at Yankee Stadium; they’ll need to add to that record or the Yankees will be toast.
