It Is Folly

One does not simply look at the Yankees' current record of 55-37, and presume that they're having a good season. It is folly.

From March 28 to June 14, the Yankees went 50-22, about as good as can be hoped for. Then, the annual injury crisis kicked in, and they've gone 5-15, the worst performance in baseball.

And it hasn't just been the injuries meaning that the pitchers haven't had the support they needed. The remaining pitchers haven't supported the remaining hitters, either.

This is not 1976, when the Cincinnati Reds were the Big Red Machine, and the Yankees were a World Series-worthy team coming off a physically and emotionally exhausting American League Championship Series. Nor is this 1990, when the Reds were a World Championship team -- with manager Lou Piniella, right fielder Paul O'Neill, and 2nd baseman Mariano Duncan, 6 years before O'Neill and Duncan helped the Yankees get back -- and the Yankees were a last-place team. But it sure seemed like it, as the Reds took 3 straight at Yankee Stadium II.

The Yankees lost the Tuesday night game, 5-4, because Luis Gil, while looking better over the 1st 3 innings, allowed a run in the 4th, and then allowed 4 in the 5th. The Yankees scored 3 in the 6th, and got a solo home run from Aaron Judge 7th. After that homer, they went 0-for-7.

Carlos Rodón was improved on Wednesday night, but it didn't matter. The Yankees had an inning-ending double play in the 7th, stranded 2 runners in the 8th, and had another double play in the 9th, and lost, 3-2.

On Thursday afternoon, a hot 4th of July, Marcus Stroman was okay for the 1st 4 innings. But the Reds scored 3 in the 5th, and 3 more in the 7th off Tim Hill (Who?) and Jake Cousins (Also, Who?). Ben Rice hit his 1st major league home run, and Austin Wells and Juan Soto also homered. But it was almost a repeat of what happened after Judge's homer on Monday: Soto's hit his homer in the 7th, and, after that, the Yankees went 1-for-8.

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Sometimes, the Boston Red Sox coming in is just what the Yankees need. Not this time. On Friday night, Nestor Cortés bounced back with 6 strong innings, and the Yankees took a 3-0 lead in the 4th inning. That lead held going into the top of the 9th. Clay Holmes got the 1st 2 outs. But he allowed a single to Dominic Smith, and a home run to Masataka Yoshida, and the game was tied. The Yankees could do nothing in the bottom of the 9th, and the game went to extra innings. Ceddanne Rafaela hit a home run off Tommy Kahnle, which made it 5-3 counting the "ghost runner." Despite having Soto and Judge coming up, the Yankees failed in the bottom of the 10th.

This happened. At home. Against The Scum. It was arguably the worst loss of the season. A bounce-back was needed. Preferably, a bounce-back that would spark the team on a new run of success.

Ace Gerrit Cole still is not fully back from injury. He allowed 5 runs in less than 5 innings on Saturday afternoon. But Rice became the 1st Yankee rookie ever to hit 3 home runs in 1 game. One came in a 7-run 5th inning, another in a 4-run 7th inning. Yankees 14, Red Sox 4. Tim Hill, one of the aforementioned "Who?"s, was the winning pitcher.

Someone online said that Rice is what we hoped Greg Bird would be. Time will tell if he actually is a viable star, or a flash in the pan.

That felt like the kind of bounce-back win that would spark a new streak, 7 in a row, 10 out of 12, 15 out of 20. No such luck. Gil pitched very well over the 1st 6 innings. But the usual Yankee move of pulling a starter too early didn't happen, and he was left in for the 7th, and he allowed a home run. Still, 1 run over 7 innings is acceptable -- if your hitters hit.

They didn't. Here's all the Yankee baserunners in the game: A single by Trent Grisham in the 3rd, eliminated on a double play; a single by Oswaldo Cabrera in the 6th, eliminated on a double play; in the very next at-bat, a double by DJ LeMahieu, followed by a strikeout by Rice; a double by Soto in the 7th, left stranded; and a walk by Cabrera in the 8th, also stranded.

Relievers Luke Weaver and Michael Tomkin each allowed a solo home run, and the Yankees lost, 3-0. 1-5 on the week. Folly.

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It is July 8, with the regular season 57 percent played. The Yankees are 55-37. They are 3 games behind the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Eastern Division, 4 games in the all-important loss column. The surging Red Sox are 7 1/2 behind the O's, the Tampa Bay Rays 13, the Toronto Blue Jays 16.

If the current standings end up being the final standings, the Yankees will have the 4th seed in the AL Playoffs. But can we really count on that? From March 28 to June 14, the Yankees played at a 112-50 pace. Then, the annual injury crisis kicked in, and they've played at a 41-121 pace. That can't go on.

When the Yankees score at least 5 runs, they are 42-5. When they don't, they are 13-32. Not having Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Rizzo and Jasson Domínguez available has really hurt. Having Gleyber Torres (mostly) available, but not getting the job done, and having 2 catchers who can't hit, has compounded things.

Without that kind of lineup protection, Alex Verdugo and Anthony Volpe have gone into slumps. Really, it's been just Judge and Soto doing the business. Everybody else has been failing. Everybody else has been folly.

Here's the latest on the significant players out due to injury, in descending order of believed availability:

* Gleyber Torres: Day-to-day. He and his .297 on-base percentage should be ready to go tomorrow night.

* Giancarlo Stanton: He resumed hitting on Tuesday. He could be back right after the All-Star Break.

* Scott Effross: The pitcher is currently in minor-league rehab. It would probably be best to leave him there until returning from the All-Star Break.

* Clarke Schmidt: He has resumed throwing. He probably won't be back before August 1.

* Jasson Domínguez: He was mere days away from returning from his last injury when he was stricken with a new one. He may be available by August 1.

* Cody Poteet: Of course, the pitcher meant to take the place of the injured Schmidt gave us a little taste of talent, and then got hurt himself. He may be available by August 1.

* Ian Hamilton: The relief pitcher has been rehabbing, but not yet officially throwing. It would be a shock to see him back before August 1.

* Anthony Rizzo: He has been transferred to the 60-Day Injured List. He might not be back before September call-ups. Given that he is only signed through this season, he may never play for the Yankees again.

* Jonathan Loáisiga: He had Tommy John surgery. Hopefully, see you in 2025.

The All-Star Break couldn't come at a better time for the Yankees -- if it were coming now. Instead, it comes next week. In between, we have today off, then 3 games in Tampa Bay, and 3 in Baltimore. Then, the All-Star Break. Judge and Soto have been selected by the fans as American League starters. Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, manager of the defending World Champions (and also, as it turns out, of the host team this year), selected 1 other Yankee for the AL team: Holmes. I guess he hasn't been paying attention.