Yanks Barely Survive Series With Phils

The Philadelphia Phillies are battling the Mets for the National League Eastern Division title. So it wasn't surprising that they gave the Yankees all they could handle this past weekend.

Still, they could have crossed The Bronx to Belmont, the Italian neighborhood around Arthur Avenue, and they still wouldn't have been served as many meatballs as the Yankee pitchers served them.

Will Warren started on Friday night. After 4 innings, the Yankees led, 2-0, on solo home runs by Cody Bellinger and Austin Wells. They led 3-2 after 6, thanks to a solo homer by Giancarlo Stanton. But Luke Weaver, who has been awful lately, began a bullpen meltdown that would also involve Ian Hamilton and Scott Effross. Over the last 4 innings, the Phillies' linescore was 20424. That's a ZIP Code in Washington, D.C. Despite an additional home run from Anthony Volpe, the Yankees lost, 12-5.

Marcus Stroman didn't get out of the 4th inning on Saturday, but it was only 4-1 Phillies after 5 innings. The bullpen fell apart again, as Alan Winans again showed that he does not belong in the major leagues. Despite another Stanton homer, this game ended Phillies 9, Yankees 4.

That's 21 runs in 2 days. When you score 9 runs in 2 days, you should expect to win at least 1 of the games. On May 28, the Yankees led the American League Eastern Division by 7 games. They had since gone 20-28, and trailed the Toronto Blue Jays by 6 1/2 games.

And a lot of Phillies fans took the train up, or drove up the New Jersey Turnpike. There were "Let's go, Phillies!" chants inside Yankee Stadium. During the 9th inning, the visiting fans even saluted their defending Super Bowl Champions, chanting, "E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles!"

The only plus for the Yankees was the Pinstriped debut of infielder Ryan McMahon, who went 1-for-3 with a walk. He is best known for his fielding, and saved a run with a stop that would have made Phil Rizzuto say, "Holy cow!"

McMahon was obtained from the Colorado Rockies for a pair of prospects who will probably never pan out. He was brought in as a hopeful solution to the 3rd base problem, caused when Jazz Chisholm had to be moved to 2nd base, as a hopeful solution to the 2nd base problem, caused when Brian Cashman finally lost patience with his beloved Gleyber Torres (who made the All-Star Game as a Detroit Tiger) and DJ LeMahieu finally broke down.

On Sunday, came dreadful news: Aaron Judge had to go on the Injured List. Fortunately, it's only the 10-day version.

Carlos Rodón started, and gave up 3 home runs, 2 to Otto Kemp. No, I'd never heard of him, either. This time, though, the bullpen allowed just 1 hit and no walks over the last 4 2/3rds innings. McMahon went 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs, and was key to a 4-3 Yankee win.

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The Yankees now trail those pesky Blue Jays by 5 1/2 games. Here's the OPS+'s, keeping in mind that 100 is exactly average, and the higher, the better: Ryan McMahon (over 2 games) 263, Aaron Judge 218, Giancarlo Stanton 141, Cody Bellinger 132, Jazz Chisholm 131, Trent Grisham 126, Ben Rice 115, Paul Goldschmidt 114, Jasson Domínguez 104, Austin Wells 96, Anthony Volpe 90, J.C. Escarra 78, Jorbit Vivas 48, Oswald Peraza (the starting 3rd baseman between Chisholm and McMahon) 27.

WHIPs for starting pitchers, keeping in mind that anything under 1.3 is good, and anything over 1.6 is unacceptable: Max Fried 1.037, Carlos Rodón 1.046, Clarke Schmidt 1.093, Will Warren 1.443, Cam Schlittler (in 2 starts) 1.548, Marcus Stroman 1.588.

WHIPs for relief pitchers, where the standard is a little different, and it should be under 1.2: Luke Weaver 0.846 (but he's done poorly lately), Fernando Cruz 1.000 even, Tim Hill 1.007, Devin Williams 1.093, JT Brubaker 1.154, Ryan Yarbrough 1.175, Ian Hamilton 1.210, Jonathan Loáisiga 1.481, Mark Leiter Jr. 1.573, Yerzy de los Santos 1.708, Scott Effross 1.781.

Projected Returns from Injury:

Luis Gil: Needs at least 1 more rehab start in the minor leagues. Probably back in early August.

Aaron Judge: Probably back in early August.

Mark Leiter Jr.: Has been throwing in the bullpen. Probably back in early August.

Fernando Cruz: Could return later in August.

Ryan Yarbrough: Hasn't yet thrown from a mound. Might be a September callup.

Oswaldo Cabrera: Might return this season, but probably won't. It was his ankle injury, not his terrible hitting, that really forced the Ryan McMahon acquisition.

Gerrit Cole: Had Tommy John surgery. Might return for 2026 Spring Training.

Clarke Schmidt: Had Tommy John surgery. Probably out until around the 2026 All-Star Break.

With all of that in mind, the trading deadline is 6:00 PM this Thursday, July 31. The biggest offensive need, a 3rd baseman, was filled. Pitching is key, especially with Cole and Schmidt both out for the season.

Tonight, the Tampa Bay Rays come into Yankee Stadium for a 4-game series, then, it's off to Florida to play an Interleague series with the Miami Marlins.