The New York Yankees played against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night.
We are talking about two teams with vastly different realities: the Braves have the best record in baseball at 77-42, and the Yankees have now dropped four in a row and, after losing on Tuesday, are now 60-60.
Sending Luis Severino, the worst pitcher in baseball, against the most explosive offense in the league created a somewhat predictable outcome.
Atlanta won, 5-0, with all runs charged to Severino (two were unearned, though).
What’s shocking is that the Yanks were held to just one hit by a pitcher (Bryce Elder) who had given up 12 runs in his last two outings.
“Held to one hit tonight in Atlanta, the #Yankees are a .500 team at 60-60. It’s the latest they’ve been .500 in a season since Sept. 6, 1995 (61-61),” Yankees insider Bryan Hoch tweeted.
Held to one hit tonight in Atlanta, the #Yankees are a .500 team at 60-60.
It’s the latest they’ve been .500 in a season since Sept. 6, 1995 (61-61).
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) August 16, 2023
The Yankees are a mediocre team, and at this point, there is little they can do to change that perception.
The chance to make something happen was before the trade deadline.
They chose not to sell, but didn’t really buy either.
Status quo was the worst thing they could do, because they mortgaged both their present and future.
Now, they risk finishing a season with a losing record, something that hasn’t happened to them since 1992.
They have missed the playoffs since those days, sure, but the last time they were below .500 at the end of a season, Barry Bonds still played for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
It has been a highly disappointing season for the Yanks.
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