Have you ever been so close to achieving a dream, only for fate to throw a wrench in your plans? That’s exactly how the Yankees are feeling right now, especially after Marcus Stroman’s performance on Wednesday, which pushed their hopes of clinching the AL East title a little further away. It just wasn’t his day on the mound, and the number of hits he surrendered was a clear sign that he was rusty after making his first start since September 10. But there was one silver lining too.

The bright side to Marcus Stroman’s outing Wednesday: He didn’t allow any extra-base hits. But getting tagged for 10 singles while recording just as many outs, that’s a tough pill to swallow. Stroman was charged with six earned runs over just 3 ⅓ innings, and the Yankees ended up falling to the Orioles 9-7. It certainly wasn’t the performance he or the team had hoped for, especially at such a crucial time for the Bronx Bombers.

What happened when Marcus Stroman was on the pitch?

The 33-year-old was feeling the weight of not playing well. “There are no excuses,” he declared, as per the New York Post. But moving forward, the pitcher was seen being ready to turn the page, promising, “I have to be better out there, regardless of rhythm or when I last threw.” Watching his performance, it’s clear why he feels this way, with each pitch echoing the strain of getting further away from the team’s goals.

At first, there was a glimmer of hope for Stroman, as Baltimore didn’t start off with a barrage of lasers in that opening inning. But it quickly turned into a tough outing when leadoff hitter Gunnar Henderson squeaked out an infield hit, kicking off misfortune for the Yankees. Jordan Westburg followed suit, sending a line drive just out of reach of Anthony Volpe. It felt like a domino effect—one misstep after another, which continued for the next innings.

As Anthony Santander blooped a single to center, Colton Cowser added with a fly ball down the left-field line that Jasson Dominguez overran, plating two crucial runs. Fortunately for Stroman, the third inning offered a moment of relief – after Santander was thrown out trying to advance to third, it could’ve been even worse. But just when it seemed like things might settle down, the fourth inning took a turn for the worse. Now, fans can’t help but wonder: What does this mean for Stroman’s future?

Marcus’ road ahead with the Yankees

After a better third inning, Marcus Stroman ran into more problems in the fourth. With Ramon Urias and Cedric Mullins getting singles to kick things off, Gunnar Henderson sent them home with a sharp line drive up the middle. Just like that, Stroman’s night came to an end, but what could be the reason behind this rough patch? The player in question himself feels it’s his “inconsistency” while pitching, “My mechanics and the shapes of my pitches were varying from pitch to pitch,” the right fielder said.

Stroman also expressed his disappointment, feeling he hadn’t done enough to keep the team in the game. While the pitcher was feeling sad for his innings, his teammate, Austin Wells, chimed in, pointing out that fielding errors contributed to the night’s woes. Wells further noted that Marcus isn’t solely at fault, many balls should’ve been caught but the fielders missed them by just a whisker. Now, while the Yankees are still in high hopes of clinching the AL East title, we can’t say the same about Marcus Stroman and when he will get a chance to start again.

Marcus was playing because Nestor Cortes Jr. went on the injured list on Wednesday. Before this outing, Stroman was already a long shot to make the playoff rotation, now, that chance feels even slimmer. With an ERA of 4.31 and a WHIP of 1.47, fans are left wondering: Will he get another opportunity to prove himself on the mound? What do you think? Share your take in the comments.