Astros' and Yankees' responses to being swept are stark night and day

The New York Yankees have lost eight games in a row -- their longest losing streak since 1995. They just got swept by the Boston Red Sox for the second time this season. They are 1-8 against their hated rivals in a crucial season. They are 60-64. They are bad.

Why are they bad, you ask? For one, the roster construction is a disaster. The proactivity from the front office is nonexistent. The players have become completely jaded from the endless criticism and media coverage -- which is their own doing.

This roster has gradually crawled into its shell since the start of the 2020 season, which has led to embarrassing defeat after humiliating defeat. The organization lies and lies and lies to its fans. There is no vision, no matter what they tell you. They didn't want to spend on high-profile free agents two years ago and then they did an about-face and spent $150 million more on Aaron Judge than they were anticipating and then another $162 million on Carlos Rodón seemingly without hesitation. They threw $11.5 million at Tommy Kahnle despite the fact he pitched 13.2 innings over his last three seasons.

But worst of all is the collection of personalities Brian Cashman has assembled. Nobody's a motivator. Nobody holds anybody's feet to the fire. There's no clear "voice" to help navigate the team out of a rut. There's no urgency to do so, either. The players have taken on Cashman's mantra of "this will all eventually turn around ... we hope ... maybe."

Meanwhile, in Houston, the Astros get swept at home by a division rival to lose ground in the Wild Card as well as momentum in the AL West race, and their .172 hitter is ready for heads to roll. Where is this in New York?

Astros' and Yankees' responses to being swept are stark night and day

Where was Aaron Judge after the Yankees got swept by the Red Sox? We knew where he was after the series sweep against the Braves! He thinks it's "right in front of us," too. He just smirked after Saturday's game and said "We're not winning, that's what it comes down to."

Where was Giancarlo Stanton, who typically kills the Sox but is hitting .111 with a .311 OPS against them this season?

Where was Gerrit Cole, who once again got clowned by Boston (his annual ritual) and Rafael Devers on Saturday? It's cingeworthy to watch him every time he's asked a question.

Where was DJ LeMahieu, who went 2-for-12 with zero walks as the team's leadoff hitter this weekend?

The team leaders offer no headline-worthy quotes that might suggest a turnaround is coming. They don't even fake it so at least the media can stop breathing down their neck! They offer no explanation for anything. They aren't hard on themselves or their teammates, at least publicly. And what's why the disdain for them grows louder by the hour.

In Houston, the players have established a hierarchy that's influenced by accountability ... or at least it seems that way because the Yankees are really bad at this. We know the Astros weren't at all accountable for their transgressions and roles in the cheating scandal, but at the very least, there's a standard for their output on the field. After scoring nine runs across three games and not losing a series since LATE JUNE, they felt implored to say what needed to be said.

One team has two World Series titles since 2017 during the other team's forecasted dynastic window. Poll people who never follow baseball and even they'll be able to tell you who is who.