Lady Luck has packed her bags and left the Bronx! The New York Yankees have lost four out of the five games they played—the latest being with the Cardinals. So much for starting September on a good note! The Yanks faced a demoralizing loss to the Cardinals at their home field, and while it was a bad day for them, for the Cardinals—it was a historic win. They never won against the Yankees since 1964 and it was their first time winning in the Yankee stadium. 

The game was plagued with sloppy defense, inconsistent pitching, and a lack of zeal at a time when the team needed it the most.  Despite being on top, the Bronx Bombers’ recent form has risked their divisional lead. However, Nestor Cortes Jr isn’t worried. But then, how long before this lack of worry turns into a real head-scratcher? That’s the question in everyone’s mind after the recent loss against the Cards.

New York Yankees’ AL East lead in jeopardy after loss to Cardinals

The New York Yankees are just barely hanging on to their lead in the AL East. The game with the Cardinals was an absolute mess with 14-7 right in their backyard. But that’s not all. The Yankees now have lost two straight series to National League teams who aren’t exactly dominating the playoff race. But according to Cortes Jr., that’s not something to worry about, since they are leading. He said, “As bad as people think we’re playing and as bad as it might show we’re playing, we’re still in first place.” So even though, as Cortes stated, they are on top, if history teaches us anything, it is that – overconfidence can lead to a nasty fall, and fast. Aaron Boone isn’t sugar-coating his response this time around, either. 

Aaron Boone said, “Tough day for us. We know how important these games are, certainly. We had another opportunity to win a series that we weren’t able to finish, and that sucks. We’ve got to play our best.” But really, playing the best is the last thing the team did on Sunday. Nestor Cortes, who had allowed just one run over his last 20 ⅔ innings, got knocked around for five runs on nine hits in just four innings. Juan Soto’s defense too was poor. The worst part? the Cards made their own mistakes, but the Pinstripes couldn’t capitalize. 

The Yankees undoubtedly tried to claw their way back but all their plans went awry in the seventh inning. Tommy Kahnle gave up a three-run double to Lars Nootbaar and a five-run inning just sealed the fate of the Bombers. Now the Yanks will face a six-game road trip and Juan Soto said, “This is the right time to get hot.” But at 6-8 in their last 14 games, rhythm and consistency are something that they desperately need. Plus, it doesn’t help that the General Manager Brian Cashman, seems to be making surprising decisions!

The surprising decision to choose Duke Ellis over their top prospect!

Surprise, surprise! The New York Yankees made a move so surprising that it led everyone to scratch their heads this weekend. So teams were allowed to bring in players for the September roster expansions, and fans were expecting the team to bring in the Yanks’ top prospect – Jasson Dominguez. After all, isn’t that the most logical decision, more even so since the team seems to be struggling on the defense side? But well, instead of Martian landing, it is Duke Ellis, who has landed! 

Duke Ellis is a speedy outfielder and is undoubtedly not half bad, but in no way does he match the power of Dominguez. But where is their top prospect, the Martian, as people call him? Well, the 21-year-old who stunned everyone with his brief MLB stint last year has been hitting .306 with five homers in Triple-A. So the Martian’s recovery looks fine. But even then, the team is adamant not to play him. Plus, Cashman’s puzzling statement raises more questions. Cashman stated, “No current lane,” regarding their top prospect! Now this could be a strategy and they might want to reduce Dominguez’s at-bats.

Definitely a long-shot strategy adopted by the Yankees. But this is a tough oil to swallow, given that the playoffs are fast approaching. They are relying on Alex Verdugo, who is having a tough season himself. What do you think about the surprising decision of the team? Let us know!