About Last Night: Angels Win Again

by Paul Semendinger

June 19, 2025

***

Last night, late in the game, the Angels broke a 2-2 tie on an Anthony Volpe error and the Yankees lost again.

Quick Stats:

• The Yankees had three hits in the game, two by Cody Bellinger

• Aaron Judge went 0-for-4, he struck out twice

• The Yankees struck out 10 times

Katie Sharp had some very telling stats on Twitter (X):

This was from before the game:

The Game and My Takes (All In One Thread):

For this summary, I'll share my thoughts as I experienced last night's game.

I, of course, didn't see the game because it was on some streaming service. I'll say this always and forever - it is absolutely foolish to take a product away from the fans. It's a completely backwards approach. "You like my product? I'll show you, You can't have it."

I was actually out at a retirement dinner for most of the game, but it didn't matter because I didn't see the game anyway and experienced the game through the play-by-play on espn.com. I "tuned" in (to the website) after the fifth inning with the score tied 2-2. My first thought was...

"The Yankees scored some runs!"

I then went back to see that both Jazz Chisholm and Cody Bellinger homered. Two solo shots. I then thought, "Typical Yankees. Solo homers." I then wondered how the team had done with men on base so I went to the box score. I saw that they had left only one man on base and then saw that the only two hits the team even had at that point were the solo homers. What has happened to the offense?

During parts of the rest of the game, I caught up on e-mails and other tasks while tuning back-and-forth to the game on the espn webpage.

I went on Twitter (X) and saw that the Yankees held a "players only" meeting. This was reported by NJ.com. Then I saw that the Yankees deny that there was such a meeting. (Maybe they should have had a meeting. Why not? The team is losing, a lot. "Hey, think we ought to talk about it? No! And do not let anyone think we would. Why would we want people to think we are trying to figure out a plan that will work?!")

In the sixth inning, nothing happened.

I decided to go to the box score to see how Aaron Judge was doing in the game. 0-for-3 with two more strikeouts. It is amazing how deep of a slump he is in right now. Currently, he is worse than bad. I have to wonder how a player can go, seemingly overnight, from the best player in the game, a guy no one can get out, to a player who simply cannot hit anything. How is it possible to go from one extreme that far to the next? Over night, he went from Babe Ruth to Chris Carter as a Yankee. This isn't a typical slump it's a complete reversal of fortune. It's like an oven that one day cooks pizza and the next day makes ice cubes. Or maybe a car that all of a sudden one day when put into drive goes in reverse without a way to change the direction. I am baffled by the severity of the slump. Judge can't seem to buy a hit and he is striking out a ton. It's amazing.

I believe, as everyone does, I am sure, that Judge will turn it around. He's too good. Of course. But the way he's gone completely cold is bafflng.

I then saw that Joe Torre will be in the dugout with Aaron Boone for the All-Star Game. Torre should be in the dugout immediately. Maybe he can teach Mr. Boone a thing or two... It can't hurt. Why wait?

The seventh inning passed. Neither team scored.

In the top of the eighth, Yankees pitchers walked three Angels and Anthony Volpe made an error allowing a run to score. That was bad. The good? Tim Hill pitched the Yankees out of further trouble. Heading into the bottom of the 8th, the Angels led 3-2.

In the bottom of the inning, things started looking up for the Yanks. Jasson Dominguez walked. Austin Wells was hit by a pitch. Trent Grisham came up. He didn't bunt. He popped out to the catcher. Aaron Judge then flied out to center. Cody Bellinger then fouled out.

Charlie Brown best expressed my feelings in that moment...

The Angels didn't score in the ninth inning. The Yankees had one last chance in the bottom of the ninth...

Paul Goldschmidt reached on an error...

Jazz Chisholm flew out.

J.C. Escarra flew out.

Anthony Volpe struck out.

The Yankees lost again.

***

As can be seen from the stats above, from Katie Sharp, the Yankees are not just playing poorly, they are historically bad right now. That's not over-stating it. At all.

***

After the game, a game in which the Yankees managed three hits, Aaron Boone actually stated, "We walked a few times, which was good. I felt we got better swings off tonight than last night" (That night they were shutout.)

The manager isn't setting a high bar here. It's like saying after being no-hit the previous day, "Well we had a single in this game. Yeah it was our only hit, but we're improving. If we keep this up for a few games, we might even get a guy to third, and then soon after we will score a run. After that, there is no telling what we can do."

***

Aaron Boone also refused to acknowledge that Aaron Judge is in a slump.

Here are the numbers over Judge's last 6 games: 2-for-23 with 14 strikeouts.

Yes, that's a slump. I think every single person believes that Aaron Judge will break out of it. But to not even be able to admit or see that it's a slump is a very bad look for the manager.

Boone's response here is laughable because it's so absurd. Does Boone think people will believe him when he talks like this?

He actually said, "Maybe he's missed a couple of pitches."

Maybe? You think?

Aaron Judge has struck out in 60.8% of his at bats in this span. That's more than a couple of pitches.

I understand why some fans support Aaron Boone. I get it, the Yankees have won a lot of games during his time as manager.

But, it is responses like the above that frustrate many fans. It's okay for the manager to say that Judge is in a slump, because he is. Every player goes through slumps. We get it. It's okay. But for the manager to even deny the obvious speaks to something very wrong. It's a bad look when the manager cannot see what is absolutely clear or if he does see it and he cannot be honest about it. One of the two is true. Both are bad looks that don't put the manager in a good light. Either way he looks very foolish. He's either completely clueless or he cannot tell the truth. Again, both are very very bad looks. As fans, we have listened to this kind of nonsense for far too long. The fact that the owner and the General Manager also allow this kind of talk makes the entire organization, once the proudest in sports, look completely disconnected with reality.

Next Up:

Carlos Rodon will take the mound for the Yankees today at 1:05 p.m to conclude the four-game series.

Let's Go Yankees!