Yankees' Offensive Meltdown Continues

by John Nielsen

July 9, 2026

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The Big Story

Wednesday night brought more of the same for the moribund New York Yankees offense, which once again was overmatched by dominant pitching. I know—shocking, right?

The reeling Yankees (50-42) have now lost 10 of their last 12 games. Since reaching their high-water mark of 45-27 on June 17, they have stumbled to a 5-15 record—the worst mark in Major League Baseball over the past three weeks. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay (54-36) has opened a five-game lead in the American League East, six games in the loss column.

This time it was Shane McClanahan (8-5), working on seven days' rest, who shut down New York's offense. The Rays' left-hander tossed 6.1 scoreless innings, allowing just four hits while walking none and striking out five. Cole Sulser and Bryan Baker recorded the final eight outs, combining to strike out six hitters. Baker struck out the side in the ninth to earn his 25th save. Those punchouts raised the Yankees' strikeout total to 45 through the first three games of the four-game series.

Jonathan Aranda, who entered the night just 2-for-27 against the Yankees this season, supplied all the offense Tampa Bay would need. He finished 2-for-3 with an RBI single, an RBI double and a sacrifice fly, driving in all three Rays runs.

Gerrit Cole (3-4) deserved a better fate. The Yankee hurler turned in a quality start, throwing a season-high 97 pitches over 6.1 innings while allowing three earned runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out six, moving past Dwight Gooden into 59th place on Major League Baseball's all-time strikeout list. Despite keeping New York within striking distance for much of the evening, Cole was saddled with the loss.

The Yankee offense managed just six hits—all singles—with Jasson Domínguez collecting two of them to raise his batting average to .224.

The club's prolonged offensive drought showed no signs of ending.

Paul Goldschmidt's nightmare July reached another low point. The veteran first baseman went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, extending his hitless streak to 34 consecutive at-bats. "Goldy" has become fool's gold, striking out in 10 of his last 12 plate appearances.

Cody Bellinger continued his prolonged slump, finishing 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. He is now just 5-for-56 during his current skid, with no runs scored and only one RBI.

Austin Wells also went hitless, finishing 0-for-3 with a strikeout. He is now just 3-for-44, scoring one run and driving in three during that stretch.

Defensively, the Yankees finally played a clean game, committing no errors. On the bases, however, they were anything but.

José Caballero over slid second base while attempting to steal in the seventh inning, resulting in a strike-'em-out, throw-'em-out double play with Paul Goldschmidt at the plate. The Yankees argued they were not given sufficient time to appeal the out call before play resumed. Bench coach Brad Ausmus erupted, and both he and manager Aaron Boone were ejected by home plate umpire Doug Eddings during the ensuing dispute.  A single throw, catch and tag somehow resulted in four outs, counting the double ejections.

It marked Boone's third ejection of the season and the 49th of his managerial career. Director of Catching, Tanner Swanson, was entrusted with the lineup card following the ejections.

Ironically, Eddings turned in an outstanding performance calling balls and strikes. Only three pitches were challenged all night, with just one overturned—a called ball that was changed to a strike in Gerrit Cole's favor after Wells requested a review.

The Yankees will try to salvage a split of the four-game series this afternoon. If they fail, they will head to Washington for a three-game weekend series trailing Tampa Bay by six games before the All-Star break. New York is expected to deploy an opener and a bullpen game, while the Rays will counter with Drew Rasmussen (7-4, 2.78 ERA).

How Bad is this Offensive Tailspin?

In the two weeks immediately following Aaron Judge's injury, the Yankees rallied to compensate for the loss of their captain's bat. From June 1 through June 17, they averaged 5.7 runs per game and scored six or more runs in six of 13 contests (46%). For a brief time, it appeared they might be able to withstand Judge's absence.

The past three weeks have told a far different and increasingly worrisome story.

Over their last 20 games, the Yankees have failed to score six runs even once, reaching five runs only three times (15%)—winning all three of those games. Their prolonged offensive drought has placed them on the doorstep of unwanted franchise history.

Only twice before have Yankee teams endured a stretch this anemic. Both the 1968 and 1991 clubs went 20 consecutive games without scoring more than five runs. If New York is held to five runs or fewer again Thursday against Drew Rasmussen and the Rays, it will establish a new franchise record.

1968 & 1991: The Only Comparable Stretches of Offensive Futility

The first of those two seasons came in 1968, a campaign forever remembered as "The Year of the Pitcher." Major League Baseball posted a record-low 2.98 ERA, a mark that still stands as the lowest in the modern era. Bob Gibson authored perhaps the greatest pitching season in history, winning the National League Cy Young Award with a microscopic 1.12 ERA, while Detroit's Denny McLain won 31 games to capture the American League Cy Young. Pitchers dominated the sport so thoroughly that Major League Baseball lowered the pitcher's mound from 15 inches to 10 inches the following season in an effort to restore offensive balance.

The 1968 Yankees (83-79-2) weren't exactly built to buck that trend. Their lineup featured offensive struggles from Horace Clarke (60 OPS+), Jake Gibbs (70 OPS+), Dick Howser (59 OPS+) and Gene Michael (45 OPS+). The bright spot was Mickey Mantle's farewell season in pinstripes. Although chronic knee injuries had relegated him to first base because he could no longer patrol the outfield—and the designated hitter was still five years away—Mantle still managed a 143 OPS+. Roy White (137 OPS+) and Joe Pepitone (120 OPS+) also provided respectable production.

The 1991 Yankees were a different story. They weren't victims of a pitching-dominated era; they simply couldn't hit. New York finished 71-91 with a lineup that struggled from top to bottom. Alvaro Espinoza and Pat Kelly (both 73 OPS+) were everyday players, while Hensley "Bam Bam" Meulens (65 OPS+), Randy Velarde (82 OPS+), Bob Geren (55 OPS+) and Jim Leyritz (45 OPS+) offered little offense in supporting roles. Such offense as the Yankees managed came primarily from Roberto Kelly (114 OPS+), Matt Nokes (113 OPS+) and Mel Hall (113 OPS+).

Those are the only two Yankees teams to match the current club's 20-game stretch without scoring more than five runs. Unless the 2026 Yankees rediscover their offense this afternoon, they stand poised to claim sole possession of one of the most undesirable records in franchise history.