4 Yankees accountable for team's sweep against Cincinnati Reds ft. DJ LeMahieu, Luis Gil and more
The New York Yankees surprisingly dropped three games straight at home against the Cincinnati Reds, who won the last game of the series 8-4 on Thursday. Prior to that, the Yankees dropped the first game of the series 5-4 and followed it up with another loss on Wednesday, with the final score being 3-2.
This is perhaps even more surprising, given the contrasting records of both teams. The Yankees are 54-35, while the Reds are well under .500 with a 42-45 record. The series loss has also weakened the Yankees' position in the AL East, with the club now trailing the Baltimore Orioles (55-32) by two games.
Here's a closer look at the four Yankees players who could be held accountable for the shocking series sweep.
4 players accountable for Yankees getting swept against Reds
Not every time can the Yankees depend on Aaron Judge and Juan Soto to get them home. The duo has performed well in the series, but despite that, other players not contributing are now starting to hurt the Yankees.
#1. Anthony Volpe
Anthony Volpe went hitless in the first (0-4) and third games (0-4) of the series. He did manage to get two RBIs in the second game, but his inconsistent approach at the plate cost the Yankees. Seeing his struggles at the plate, manager Aaron Boone had to drop him in the lineup as Ben Rice took the leadoff spot in the last game of the series.
#2. Luis Gil
Luis Gil's early shine in the season as the Yankees' top starting arm has started to fade, with the pitcher's ERA rising to 3.41 in a month. The AL Pitcher of the Month in May was the worst Yankee pitcher in June and his struggles only continued as he gave up four earned runs in four innings in the Yankees' 5-4 loss in the first game of the series.
#3. DJ LeMahieu
Coming off an injury to his foot, DJ LeMahieu has been unable to retain his old form since returning. The third baseman's struggles continued this series, with him going hitless in the first game (0-4), getting one hit and one walk in the second game and going hitless (0-1) in the third game coming off as a pinch hitter.
LeMahieu is only hitting .183 for the season and if last game's lineup is concerned, Boone may think of leaving him out of the lineup often until he finds his hitting rhythm.
#4. Marcus Stroman
The Bronx Bombers were expecting a quality start from their ace, Marcus Stroman, to avoid getting swept by the Reds. However, Cincinnati's batters dominated Stroman, who gave up five earned runs in five innings, which included five hits, two walks and six strikeouts.
The New York Yankees will look to bounce back in their next three-game series against the Boston Red Sox (47-39) at Yankee Stadium which starts on Friday.