Yankees: Pitiful hitting with runners on dooms NYY in defeat vs. Red Sox

The New York Yankees have been unable to crack the code that the Boston Red Sox have presented before them this season, as Alex Cora’s squad have yet to taste defeat against their rivals from the Empire State. Saturday’s 4-2 loss was more of the same from the Yankees, as the flaws in this roster once again started to show.

Despite the inviting Green Monster in left field and a lineup that is comically oversaturated with right-handed power hitters, the Yankees’ bats fell silent against a Red Sox team looking to step on their rivals throats.

Former Yankees starter Nathan Eovaldi toed the rubber against Aaron Boone and a squad looking to avenge Friday night’s defeat, and he looked like the second coming of Luis Tiant given how it was almost impossible for the Yankees to make solid contact against him, save for DJ LeMahieu.

In 7.2 innings of work, Eovaldi gave up six hits, all of which were singles, while striking out six and allowing just one run. Double plays from Aaron Judge in the first and Gary Sanchez in the sixth ruined scoring chances, and the fact that the Yankees can count on one hand the number of at-bats they had with runners in scoring position underscores a tough night.

The Yankees couldn’t touch Nathan Eovaldi and the Red Sox.

New York’s lineup has been pretty top-heavy this year, and this game was the perfect encapsulation of that concept.

LeMahieu tallied four hits, Judge reached base three times, and both Gary Sanchez and Giancarlo Stanton added a single and a walk. Spots No. 5-9 in the Yankee lineup combined for a grand total one ONE hit, as Gleyber Torres picked up a single off former Yankee Adam Ottavino in the ninth inning.

The real kick in the teeth came after Hirokazu Sawamura walked the bases loaded in the eighth. With Ottavino on the mount, Luke Voit grounded out to shortstop, ending the Yankees’ chances of a comeback.

The Yankees’ feeble play against the Red Sox is even more upsetting considering this team was coming off of a sweep of the Blue Jays on the road, a tremendous performance against a very good Oakland team, and taking two of three against Kansas City. None of that mattered against Eovaldi and Boston.

This is the epitome of why this season has been so frustrating for the Yankees every time they start to win a couple of series and kick things into high gear, they take an equal number of steps backward and lose all of their momentum. Even managing to take the final game in this series wouldn’t be much of a consolation prize.

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