With a 6-2 loss in Sunday's series finale, the New York Yankees were swept by the Tigers in Detroit for the first time since 2000, according to WFAN'S Sweeny Murti. The Yankees stacked up missed opportunities over the weekend, going 2 for 25 with runners in scoring position and stranding 28 baserunners in total, per Erik Boland of Newsday.
The Yankees have now scored three runs or fewer in 29 of their 53 games; the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates are the only team to do that more frequently this year, according to Katie Sharp.
To make matters worse, the Yankees committed three errors on Sunday, with shortstop Gleyber Torres owning responsibility for two of those. (Third baseman Gio Urshela made the other.) Torres was, to put it mildly, not pleased with himself or his glove:
Gleyber Torres has two fielding errors in this game. Never seen him snap like this during a game. pic.twitter.com/nB9sDSZ3tI
— Lindsey Adler (@lindseyadler) May 30, 2021
The Yankees didn't help themselves in other aspects of the game, either. Starter Michael King and reliever Nestor Cortes Jr. combined to allow six runs (five earned) on six hits and six walks over six innings of work. (Nick Nelson threw a pair of shutout innings to close the Yankees' side of the ledger.) Meanwhile, their 2-4 hitters (Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, and Urshela) combined to go 1 for 11 with six strikeouts, including one to end the contest.
"This is just a bad ending to a terrible weekend," manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including MLB.com's Bryan Hoch) after the game. "We've got to get better."
This upcoming week would be a good time to get better. The Yankees will head into the new week with a 29-24 record and a chance to make up ground in a hurry. They're scheduled to play four against the Tampa Bay Rays, beginning on Monday, and they'll end the week with another three vs. the Boston Red Sox. The Rays and Red Sox are the teams they're trailing in the American League East.
For those wondering, the last time the Yankees were swept in Detroit, their lineup featured Ricky Leedee at DH, Shane Spencer in left field, and Clay Bellinger (Cody's father) at shortstop. (Derek Jeter was on the injured list.) The Yankees left Detroit with a 22-13 record after that series; they went on to win 87 games and, eventually, the World Series against the New York Mets.
