Even with six players on the COVID-19 injured list, a handful of new players on the roster and a season slipping away, Gerrit Cole said the Yankees’ attitude heading into Friday night’s game against the Red Sox was “business as usual.”
The Yankees then went out and played like it, losing another game to Boston, 4-0, in The Bronx.
If you’re keeping score, they’re down six players due to COVID-19, have lost all seven games against the Red Sox and are nine games back of Boston in the AL East, in fourth place.
And they’re just two games over .500 (46-44).
Playing without Aaron Judge and Gio Urshela after they were placed on the COVID-19 IL Friday, the Yankees used a ragtag lineup to start the second half, and it was about as productive as their regular lineup had been in the first half.
They started Chris Gittens and Trey Amburgey, who was making his MLB debut.
After Gittens walked with two outs in the seventh and the Yankees tried to get back in the game, they used Greg Allen and Hoy Jun Park — who was also making his MLB debut — as pinch-hitters.
Allen came up with a single, but Park grounded out.
Jordan Montgomery started strong, needing just eight pitches to get through a perfect first inning.
But after Giancarlo Stanton hit into a double play in the bottom of the first, Montgomery opened the second by walking Xander Bogaerts and giving up a double by Rafael Devers, which Brett Gardner couldn’t run down in left-center.
Bogaerts scored on a groundout to short by Hunter Renfroe.
After Christian Vazquez flied to the warning track in left, Christian Arroyo homered to right-center to make it 3-0.
It resulted in a chorus of boos from the crowd as Montgomery needed 36 pitches to get out of the inning.
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With their offense in shambles, it was not the start to the game the Yankees were looking for from Montgomery, though the lefty didn’t give up another hit in his six-inning outing.
Their biggest issue came on offense. They were shut down by left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, who tossed 5 ²/₃ scoreless innings.
After DJ LeMahieu’s leadoff single in the first, the Yankees didn’t get another hit until Rougned Odor doubled with two outs in the sixth to end Rodriguez’s night.
The Yankees managed their first threat against Rodriguez with two outs in the fifth.
Gittens walked and Amburgey grounded to third, but Bobby Dalbec couldn’t handle Devers’ throw and was charged with an error.
With runners on the corners, Tim Locastro struck out to end the inning.
After Odor doubled in the sixth, Gary Sanchez grounded out against Hirokazu Sawamura.
Before the game, manager Aaron Boone called the situation “a great opportunity for our team … we’re really excited to take the field tonight and have an opportunity to play the first place team in our division. And expect to play well.”
The Red Sox hardly looked like a team that had lost four of five heading into the break, and they continued to leave the Yankees in the dust.