Yankees getting owned by Logan Gilbert before All-Star break is a bad sign

The New York Yankees, fresh off one of the more encouraging two-game stretches of what has been an awful last month highlighted by regression and injuries, tried to go for the sweep against a Seattle Mariners team that has pleasantly surprised many with their surge up the AL West standings. Unfortunately, a tall, lanky rookie came in to shut them down.

Giancarlo Stanton ripped a double down the line in the second inning against young right-hander Logan Gilbert, and it looked like the Yankees could start to touch up the former first-round pick, who came into the day with a 4.10 ERA. For the rest of the afternoon, Gilbert turned into a right-handed Randy Johnson.

The Yankees mustered just one hit against Gilbert, striking out eight times. Sure, Jordan Montgomery gave up three runs, and Wandy Peralta allowed another in the eighth inning, but he bounced back well after a shaky start.

The 4-0 loss today falls squarely on the offense, who couldn’t hit water if they fell out of a boat. With most of the heavy hitters in the lineup, getting just three baserunners, the aforementioned Stanton double and two hit by pitches that put Luke Voit and DJ LeMahieu on.

The Yankees are limping to the All-Star break.

As good as the Mariners are, the Yankees laying an egg against Seattle is extra concerning when what promises to be a very emotional series against the hated Astros in Houston. With the Astros starting to get into a groove, the Yankees needed to put forth a better effort than this.

It’s one thing to lose against Seattle, who are now ahead of New York in the race for the second Wild Card spot. It’s another to get completely dominated to the point that they are heading into one of the most hostile, yet pivotal, series of the year fresh off a comically inept performance.

Gilbert might be a hyped prospect, but that shouldn’t justify the Yankees almost totally failing to hit the ball hard against him. Coming out of the Houston series as the victors will take some extreme improvements and very lucky bounces, meaning that the Yankees could head into the break as a .500 team.

Aaron Boone and the rest of this squad need to put this nightmare in the past if they are to have any chance of ridding themselves of their Houston demons and taking down the Astros at Minute Maid Park. If they fail to do that, and they hit as they did against Gilbert in Houston, you might as well chalk up the Ls right now and save time.

Yankees: 3 players NYY need more from in second half of season

The New York Yankees need more from SO many of their players, but these three specifically need to step up in the second half of the season.