What was supposed to be a day of celebration with the Old Timers on Saturday afternoon turned into a nightmare for the Yankees, who were destroyed by one of the worst teams in baseball. The Colorado Rockies scored nine runs and won 9-2, putting the Yankees in their place.
Problems with the Yankees pitching: Luis Gil injured, Will Warren struggles
With young starting pitcher Luis Gil placed on the injured list due to a back injury, the Yankees quickly promoted Will Warren from Triple-A to take his place. Unfortunately, Warren was inconsistent this season and struggled again.
Warren lasted just three innings, allowing seven hits and five earned runs and striking out six batters. He threw 48 strikes on 76 pitches and caused two balks in one inning. He now has a 9.68 ERA this season and will no doubt want to forget the first few starts of his MLB career. However, the Yankees see potential similarities between him and Michael King and will continue to develop his game in hopes of better results.
Bullpen and offensive problems
The bullpen didn’t fare much better, allowing three earned runs in the final six innings. Michael Tonkin was tagged for two runs, thanks to a two-run homer by Jake Cave in the seventh inning. This is a game the Yankees would like to forget, as they managed just five hits and two runs, striking out nine times.
If there’s anything positive to say, it’s the solid performances from Jazz Chisholm and Alex Verdugo. Chisholm contributed two hits and an RBI, while Verdugo finally ended an 0-for-21 streak and hit his first home run since July 6 against Boston.
Problems in the outfield and possible call-ups
With the Bombers giving Giancarlo Stanton a day off, Trent Grisham struck out three times in four at-bats in his place, further complicating the outfield situation. At some point, manager Aaron Boone will have to consider promoting Jasson Dominguez to provide additional support, likely in the next few weeks as September approaches.
Reinforcements in sight
Meanwhile, the Yankees have several players in Double-A rehabbing, including Clarke Schmidt, Ian Hamilton, Anthony Rizzo and Jon Berti. Reinforcements are on the way and the Yankees can’t get them back fast enough. They’ll have one more chance to win the series against Colorado on Sunday afternoon before facing the Washington Nationals, another struggling team currently playing for pride.
