The Yankees, who appeared to sweep the series, Alex Verdugo’s blunder, stopped their dream run. Before Sunday’s game, the Yanks were coming off 6-1 and 4-1 victories against the Orioles. Overall, the Bronx needed just one run to close the doors and establish their series dominance on the Baltimore Orioles. However, in the ninth innings, Alex Verdugo faltered to catch a line drive hit by Cedric Mullins, allowing the Orioles to bounce back. 

Perhaps, despite having a 5-3 lead and Ben Rice homers, the Yankees struggled. Eventually, Mullins smashed a double hit off the Yankees pitcher Clay Holmes. With the bases loaded, he drove two runs, ultimately clinching a 6-5 victory against the Yankees. After the match, reporters swarmed like bees to surround Verdugo in the locker room, where he shared his raw thoughts on his misjudgment effort. 

Alex Verdugo’s stance on the 6-5 loss against the Orioles

The 28-year-old Yankees outfielder ran to catch the ball but mistakenly fell to the ground. This allowed the ball to go past him, resulting in the Yanks’ defeat. Discussing his game’s mishap in an interview with the Yes Network, he said, “Saw it coming my way, took a step in. That little step-in was enough to beat me back, just trying to do anything. I can get to it. It’s the wrong first step. Just leave it at that. I’d take a lot of pride out there defensively. This one’s on me.” Explaining Verdugo’s incident, he missed the catch with a fielding error by the shortstop Anthony Volpe. 

Also, Alex Verdugo seemed to have some difficulties tracking the ball. After Cedric Mullins smashed the ball, he charged towards the ball as if it would land in front of him. However, the ball went well over Verdugo’s head, allowing Ryan Mountcastle to run over his hit with all the bases loaded. Shortly, Cedric Mullins hit the winning runs, saving the Orioles from a complete series sweep. 

Nevertheless, at the start, the game looked in the Yankees’ favor. They took a 1-0 early lead in the second innings on Grisham’s single. Later, in the fifth innings, Trent Grisham scored another run with a colossal 375-foot homer into the stands. Still, despite the Yankees’ series win against the Baltimore Orioles, there’s still some good and bad news for the Brox Bombers. 

Despite the series win, the Yankees’ struggle seems imminent

Though the New York Yankees have won the series, their pitching, and defensive and offensive struggles are real. The Yankees have always been on top of their game in the offense department. Though, against the Orioles, the offense seemed adverse. Even key players like Juan Soto and Aaron Judge struggled to smash homers. Combined, the duo had four strikeouts and managed just two walks amongst them. 

However, on the positive side, Trent Grisham garnered one of his best performances in the 2024 season. He racked up three hits, had a walk, and smashed a home run in the fifth inning. Adding pitching to the ongoing struggles, it showed a mixed bag of results. The Yankees starter, Carlos Rodon, showed a lack of confidence as he conceded two earned runs.

Even more, Tommy Kahnle against the Orioles gave away one earned run shortly after he took his mound. Still, Michael Tonkin showed his ‘A’ game. He went 1.1 innings scoreless, along with three strikeouts, proving to be a reliable bullpen asset. 

Lastly, the defense of the Bronx seems to be struggling a lot. Considering Alex Verdugo’s recent defensive error and Holmes’ inconsistent performance, GM Brian Cashman may need to consider taking action. Looking forward, the Bronx will probably have a week off to enjoy and rethink its strategies. They will meet the Tampa Bay Rays in a four-game series post-break.

Especially after a long-awaited series win against the Orioles, the Bombers will hope to continue their winning enigma forward, leading to the World Series.