The Yankees failed to complete the primary half with a bang.
Of their remaining recreation earlier than the All-Star break, the Yankees managed solely two hits and three baserunners in a 4-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday afternoon within the Bronx.
Artful Cubs ace Shota Imanaga dominated over seven innings, limiting the Yankees to 1 run whereas retiring 16 of the ultimate 17 batters he confronted.
The loss capped a roller-coaster first half through which the Yankees (53-43) began sturdy, endured a summer time swoon and fell to second place within the American League East.
“I think there’s, across the board, improvements to be [made],” supervisor Aaron Boone stated. “We never stop feeling like we can be a little bit better, and that’s individually, but certainly as a team as well. Obviously, we’ve had a little bit of attrition here.”
Austin Wells’ single to guide off the sixth was the Yankees’ lone hit after the second inning, and he was rapidly erased when Paul Goldschmidt grounded right into a double play.
Imanaga struck out six, together with Aaron Decide twice utilizing his splitter.
“He kind of had his way today,” Boone stated of the misleading left-hander.
The offensive points contributed to rookie Yankees starter Will Warren (6-5) struggling a hard-luck loss.
After Warren exited a 1-1 recreation within the sixth with a runner on third base and one out, Dansby Swanson greeted reliever Ian Hamilton with a go-ahead two-run dwelling run on a dangling slider.
The Cubs tacked on a run within the seventh when a hustling Seiya Suzuki scored from second base on an infield single by Pete Crow-Armstrong — a play through which shortstop Anthony Volpe ranged to his left and spun however pulled Goldschmidt off of first base along with his throw.
The defeat resulted in a sequence loss for the Yankees, who gained Friday’s opener, 11-0, however totaled three runs within the subsequent two video games.
“You’re always fighting for that consistency offensively,” stated Boone, whose workforce is averaging 5.2 runs per recreation. “I think, on balance, we’ve had an outstanding offense to this point, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be better.”
The Yankees go into the four-game All-Star break trailing the red-hot Toronto Blue Jays, who entered Sunday with a two-game lead within the division.
After starting the season with a 42-25 report, the Yankees suffered a 6-16 stoop that included two separate six-game dropping streaks.
They’d gained 5 video games in a row earlier than dropping the final two in opposition to the Cubs.
“We’re really high on this team,” stated Warren, who was charged with two runs in 5.1 innings. “We had some skids, but it’s 162 games. If we play Yankee baseball the way we’re supposed to play in this clubhouse, I think we’re gonna beat a lot of people.”
The Yankees method this month’s commerce deadline with quite a few wants, together with a beginning pitcher after dropping ace Gerrit Cole and fellow right-hander Clarke Schmidt to season-ending elbow accidents.
They’ve a gap at third base, too, after final week’s infield reshuffling included the discharge of DJ LeMahieu.
And their bullpen may use some assist, with Fernando Cruz and Mark Leiter Jr. on the injured checklist and Jonathan Loáisiga struggling in his return from elbow surgical procedure.
“Like anything, you sit and make the adjustments for the second half,” Stanton stated. “Try to improve and get better into the second half and postseason.”
The Yankees have been buoyed by a standout season from Decide, who leads the majors with a .355 common and a 1.195 OPS to go along with 35 dwelling runs and 81 RBI. Max Fried, too, has excelled in his first season with the Yankees, going 11-3 with a 2.43 ERA within the first half.
Decide and Fried had been two of 4 Yankees named All-Stars, together with Chisholm (17 dwelling runs) and Carlos Rodón (10-6, 3.08 ERA).
“There’s been a lot of good,” Boone stated of the primary half. “There’s obviously been two weeks where we really struggled, but we set out in spring training and the start of the year to get back to the playoffs and go chase after a world title. All those hopes and dreams are right there and still exist for us.”
Initially Revealed: July 13, 2025 at 4:25 PM EDT
