With an erratic bullpen ruining their eagerly-awaited series-opener against the first-place Tigers, the Yankees lost a 12-2 laugher on Tuesday.
The Bombers are now 80-64 on the season. The Blue Jays and Red Sox, the two teams fighting the Yankees atop the American League East, had yet to finish playing by the time the pinstripers were done embarrassing themselves on Tuesday.
An out-of-control seventh inning doomed the Yankees against Detroit, as four walks, one hit-by-pitch, and one wild pitch — as well as a leadoff double, two RBI singles and a two-run triple — led to the Tigers scoring eight runs before an out could be recorded.
Detroit ultimately totaled nine runs in the frame, which began with the score tied at two and Fernando Cruz entering the game.
The righty had been sharp since returning from the injured list, recording a 1.17 ERA over seven games, but he let up a ground-rule double to Riley Greene before walking two batters and surrendering a run-scoring single to Parker Meadows, who had already hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning.
Cruz then issued another walk, forcing in a run and ending his night. Mark Leiter Jr. took over from there, but his command wasn’t any better.
He surrendered an RBI bloop single to former Yankees prospect Trey Sweeney, which Anthony Volpe, playing in, couldn’t catch in center field, before pushing three more runs in with a hit-by-pitch, a walk and a wild pitch. Volpe had a 99% catch probability on the Sweeney play.
Kerry Carpenter then sent Leiter to the showers with a two-run triple.
According to Stathead’s Katie Sharp, the Yankees are the second MLB team in the last 75 years to have two relievers allow four-plus earned runs and get zero outs in a game. The Angels also did it on Aug. 31, 1999 against Cleveland.
With Cruz and Leiter unable to hit the broad side of a barn, Tim Hill inherited their mess and eventually gave up a run on a force out before the nightmarish inning came to an end. Meanwhile, Paul Blackburn permitted an RBI single after a Ryan McMahon error in the eighth.
The bullpen’s disastrous display spoiled a strong night from Will Warren, who tallied two hits, two earned runs — the Meadows homer — one walk, five strikeouts and 91 pitches over six innings. The rookie right-hander now has a 4.22 ERA through 30 starts.
The implosion also overshadowed Aaron Judge’s continued rise in the Yankees’ record books, as he clubbed the 359th home run of his career in the first inning.
The solo shot, the conclusion of a seven-pitch at-bat, put Judge in sole possession of fifth place on the team’s all-time home run list. He had been tied with Hall of Famer Yogi Berra before Detroit starter Casey Mize left a splitter over the heart of the plate.
Judge, who has 44 home runs this season, is now chasing Joe DiMaggio, who hit 361 dingers in his career. Lou Gehrig (493), Mickey Mantle (536) and Babe Ruth (659) round out the Yankees’ top-five.
Cody Bellinger also hit a solo homer in the fourth inning, but that was hardly enough with the Yankees’ relievers failing to find the strike zone.
The Yankees may have been able to score more had Volpe been able to get a bunt down with runners on first and second and nobody out in the fifth inning, but he popped one attempt foul before lining the next one at Tigers third baseman Colt Keith. That resulted in loud boos for the struggling shortstop before McMahon struck out and Trent Grisham flew out on a 3-0 count.
Volpe also struck out twice after Aaron Boone considered — but opted against — starting José Caballero at shortstop. Volpe now has a .661 OPS this season.
