It’d be one thing to lose to a good team like the Dodgers to begin the second half after the good feelings of the sweep to end the first and the relaxing All-Star break. But the way the Yankees lost on Friday night? Hooboy. Managerial blunders, questionable baserunning decisions, and most damning of all, another lifeless showing on offense really sucked the air out of Yankee Stadium. You have to walk a tightrope to win a pitchers’ duel (credit to Gerrit Cole for doing well until being left out for too long) and they were not up to the task. Turns out, it’s harder to score runs when you’re not facing the Senior Circuit’s most hapless bullpen. Bad bad bad.

Whatever. Please figure out Emmet Sheehan? Or don’t. It’s fine! It’s fine.

Today on the site, John will look at the Trade Deadline relief market and consider the Rockies’ resurgent Antonio Senzatela as a potential target, Sam will have the Rivalry Roundup, and Jeff will celebrate old friend Joe Torres’s 86th birthday (wow). Later, Scott will give the live report from Max Fried’s rehab start in Triple-A Scranton and George Lombard Jr.’s triumphant return from his own Rookie ball rehab.

New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Time: 8:08 p.m. EST

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

1. Who was the biggest goat of yesterday’s loss: Aaron Boone, Gerrit Cole, Trent Grisham, Luis Rojas, or the Yankees’ offense as a whole?

2. Will you watch the France/England World Cup third-place match today, or is that only for True Sickos?*

*I say this with love. If there was a third-place game between the ALCS and NLCS losers, I would watch it.