The New York Yankees seemingly unending swoon continued on Sunday, as they dropped a lifeless, 7-1 decision to the Houston Astros in the series-deciding finale of a three-game set at Yankee Stadium.
The loss was the Yankees’ seventh in nine August games, and 12th in their last 20, leaving the Bronx Bombers facing the increasingly real possibility that when playoff time comes around, they will be left on the outside looking in.
They currently cling to a one-half game lead over the Cleveland Guardians for the third and final American League Wild Card spot, with just 44 games remaining to rescue their season.
One of the primary culprits in the Yankees’ collapse, since they led the AL East by 5 1/2 games at the end of May, has been their prized free-agent offseason signing and mound ace through the first three months of the season, 31-year-old southpaw Max Fried.
Fried Signed Largest-Ever Deal For Southpaw
The Yankees inked the former Atlanta Braves ace to an eight-year, $218 million pact in December, a record contract for a left-handed pitcher. Through the end of June, the Santa Monica, California, native delivered on expectations. He ended that month with a 10-2 record and an AL second-best 1.92 ERA.
Since the calendar flipped to July, Fried has been a different pitcher. His ERA since June 30, after Sunday’s start against the Astros in which he surrendered four runs on eight hits in five innings, stands at an even 6.00.
A recurring finger blister that caused him to exit his final start before the All-Star break after just three innings probably hasn’t helped matters, but Fried was not good in his two previous July starts, allowing seven runs in 11 innings against the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets.
Slumping Ace Sends Blunt 7-Word Message
What happened to Fried, whose collapse has effectively left the Yankees without a “stopper” to anchor their starting rotation? Even Fried is not sure, according to his statements following Sunday’s drubbing at the hands of Houston.
But the lefty who was the Braves’ first-round draft pick, seventh overall, in 2012, did offer a blunt, seven-word assessment of his performance.
“It sucks, especially this time of year,” Fried said after the game, as quoted by reporter Max Goodman of the NJ Advanced Media syndicate.
Sudden Decline Has Been Steep
“His ERA now sits at 2.94, but that number hides the dramatic decline since his red-hot early-season form,” wrote Empire Sports Media founder Alexander Wilson on Monday morning. “In April, Fried was nearly untouchable, posting a microscopic 0.82 ERA and overpowering hitters with sharp command and movement.”
Wilson continued his recap, writing, “he followed that with a 2.65 ERA in May and an even stronger 1.91 ERA across Juneâs starts. July, however, marked a turning point, as his ERA ballooned to 5.54 amid rising hard contact and diminished swing-and-miss rates.”
Fried Appears Mystified by Slump
Fried himself appears painfully aware that he must rediscover his early-season form, and do it fast. He just doesn’t seem to know how.
âTo be honest, I have to be better,â Fried said on Sunday, as quoted by Goodman. âI just gotta be better at locating, being able to throw and get more ground balls and havenât been able to do it. Itâs something I need to dive into and see what adjustments I need to make.â
If Fried fails to figure out those “adjustments,” the Yankees are left with another southpaw, 32-year-old Carlos Rodon, as their most reliable starter. But Rodon, while not a disaster, has been largely mediocre since the end of June. In a combined 33 innings over six starts in July and August, Rodon has scuffled to a 4.64 ERA, more than a full run worse than his season mark of 3.35.
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