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Yankees express hope, while club's losing streak rises

Yankees express hope, while club's losing streak rises

Pete Caldera, NorthJersey.comThu, Jul 2, 2026·4 min read

NEW YORK – Aaron Judge talked about the Yankees’ need to “dial it in,’’ and manager Aaron Boone spoke to the club about winning at-bats, which lead to rallies.

That was Wednesday morning at Yankee Stadium.

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Through the first eight innings on Wednesday afternoon, the Yankees lineup had remained shut out and silent.

“We’ve got to get over it and start playing better baseball,’’ said Boone, who watched his club rally for two game-tying runs in the ninth, only to drop their seventh straight game.

“Got to get more offense going. Hopefully, the back end of that game is a little spark, but obviously we’ve got to be better,’’ Boone said after the Tigers’ 6-2, 11-inning win at Yankee Stadium.

It’s been “an awful week,’’ as Boone said, revealing more about the Yankees’ state in a Judge-less period, with their captain still healing from a fractured right rib, diagnosed a month ago.

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A collective breakdown in the Bronx

Jazz Chisholm Jr. was producing as many headlines as notable on-field moments, with the Detroit “lollipop’’ incident, an ill-time ejection from a game at Boston and unfortunate trip to concussion protocol – though Chisholm solely manufactured Wednesday’s tying run in the ninth.

If Oswaldo Cabrera puts the ball in play during his 10th inning at-bat, with the winning run at third base and one out, at least the Yanks turn down the volume and snap a losing streak.

But it’s a seven-game skid now, with more evidence of Camilo Doval’s not-ready-for-prime-time late relief, allowing four runs in the 11th.

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Doval lost Hao-Yu Lee to a walk after getting ahead 0-2. He walked Spencer Torkelson to force home the go-ahead run, then yielded a two-run single to Zach McKinstry.

For good measure, a third run scored as Ali Sanchez’s peg to second base ticked off the glove of a leaping Anthony Volpe for a throwing error.

“I feel like we beat ourselves,’’ Chisholm said of this stretch, adding that “on occasion, you lose that focus and that accountability you have for yourself and your teammates.

“That’s what’s going on right now,’’ said Chisholm, though “we still believe in ourselves.’’

At a loss to explain a seven-game losing streak

As bad as it's been, these Yankees haven’t stopped being a contender in a weak American League.

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Max Fried might be back in their rotation right after the All-Star break, Trent Grisham and Ryan McMahon are due back from the IL on Friday to boost the defense and at least lengthen the lineup.

Reliever Yovanny Cruz was optioned after the game, but exciting, hard-throwing (though unproven yet in the majors) Carlos Lagrange will be a bullpen option soon.

Doval won’t be seeing many leveraged, late-game spots, unless forced to – as happened Wednesday.

For added measure Wednesday, Boone awoke to texts from several players – including Spencer Jones and Max Schuemann – that they were dealing with symptoms of food poisoning.

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Paul Goldschmidt wasn’t affected but he remained on the bench, with Boone opting to let Cabrera (who might be optioned to Triple-A by Friday) to bat for himself rather than roll the dice.

Maybe the sight of the Minnesota Twins, this weekend’s Bronx guest and a longtime Yankee foil, will help matters after Thursday’s oh-so-needed off date.

Following the Yankee captain's lead

Wednesday marked the end of a stretch of 16 straight games for the Yanks, and they posted a 5-11 record.

“Oh man, the preparation’s good. It’s no different from when we’re rolling,’’ said Cody Bellinger, still struggling like the rest of Boone’s lineup.

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“I know for myself, it’s just missing some pitches, swinging at some bad ones. I’ve got to be better.’’

They all heard what Judge had to say about the “lack of focus’’ he’s seen and the need to “dial it in,’’ and that means defensively, too, where unbuttoned moments lead to unearned runs.

And the Yanks haven’t been scoring to cover up any of those mistakes.

“We can’t waver or panic,’’ said Amed Rosario, after his one-out, ninth-inning homer produced a bit of a spark.

The final result was still two Yankee runs in 11 innings, another loss – their 10 in the last 12 games – against four Tigers pitchers largely anonymous to the fans who rapidly fled the Stadium by late afternoon.

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“It’s a (crappy) feeling when you’re not succeeding, it’s very frustrating,’’ said Bellinger. “Hopefully, we come back from the off day ready to roll.’’

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Yankees express hope, while club's losing streak rises

Story byThe Bergen Record