Another day another loss for the Yankees — this one on a July 4th afternoon at Yankee Stadium — their 3rd loss in a row as they get swept by the Reds, and their 14th loss in 19 games.
This time it was Marcus Stroman getting ripped for 3 homerun balls that put them behind 5-0 by the 5th.
Again the Yankee offense was stymied early but came around too late — pulling to within 5-2 before the bullpen blew it up; NFL quarterback Kirk Cousins’s cousin Jake Cousins allowing a bases-clearing triple in the 7th to make it an 8-2 game.
At least Austin Wells and Ben Rice both hit homers — hope for the near future as both players look like keepers. Juan Soto also homered — in the 7th to make it 8-4 — but it was too little too late.
“I felt pretty good honestly overall,” said Stroman afterwards. “Just a few pitches; few AB’s. Just frustrating because we ended up scoring 2 in the bottom there (of the 5th); it would have been a tie game; we would have had momentum. This one’s on me. I have to do a better job in that 5th and get my team back to the dugout keeping it at 2 runs.”
“It was just one pitch,” added Stroman. “(Spencer) Steer ended up hitting a sinker away out. I was one pitch away from keeping our team in the game for a potential win.”
NY drops to 54-35. At least Baltimore lost so the Yanks remain 2 games back. Cincinnati improves to 42-45.
1. Stroman Coughed Up 3 Homers
Marcus Stroman pitched well except for the homerun ball.
He allowed a solo homer to left fielder Nick Martini with 1 out in the 2nd, a solo homer to Jonathan India with 1 out in the 3rd, and a 2-out, 3-run homer to 1st baseman Spencer Steer in the 5th.
Stroman had allowed a 1-out infield single and walk, then got the 2nd out and was a strike away from getting out of the 5th down 2-0 when Steer hit the opposite-field homer into the short porch.
And I’m going to go get me a New York slice. pic.twitter.com/3hdOQ0mzRH
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 4, 2024
2. Wells Homers
Good news came for the Yanks in the bottom of the 5th, when Austin Wells led off with a 423-foot homer to center to make it a 5-1 game. Wells has been hitting the ball hard and working walks.
Austin Wells gets the Yankees on the board!
(via @TalkinYanks) pic.twitter.com/Gve157FsWS
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) July 4, 2024
3. Rice Homers
Two batters later, Ben Rice ripped a 409-foot homer to right and it was a 5-2 game. Rice, like Wells, has been hitting the ball hard and working walks. It was Rice’s first homer in the Majors.
Congrats on your 1st Big League Home Run, Ben! pic.twitter.com/9v5PtQ78oD
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 4, 2024
Rice was promoted to leadoff batter in this game, with the slumping Anthony Volpe demoted to 6th. Rice went 1-5; Volpe 0-4.
4. Cousins’ Cousin Kills It
Lefty Tim Hill came in to pitch a shutout 6th, but then got in trouble in the top of the 7th — allowing 1-out singles to Jonathan India and Elly De La Cruz. He got the 2nd out though, then was relieved by righty Jake Cousins — NFL star Kirk Cousins’s cousin — to face the righty Spencer Steer.
Cousins walked Steer to load the bases and rightfielder Jake Fraley tripled to center, clearing the bases for an 8-2 game.
5. Soto Homer
A faint hope at a comeback came in the bottom of the 7th, when Trent Grisham singled and Juan Soto hit a 2-out, 2-run 431-foot moon shot to center for an 8-4 game.
The All-Star starter knew he got all of this one. #YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/RV0Dp1LNGI
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) July 4, 2024
6. End Game
But Justin Wilson pitched a shutout 8th, and Sam Moll pitched a shutout 9th, striking out the last two Yankees for the old ballgame.
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