The Yankees managed to make a bad night even noisier.
After a 6-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers in 11 innings on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium - a defeat that completed a three-game sweep and stretched their skid to seven straight - New York followed with a roster move that sent fans into a rage. Rookie right-hander Yovanny Cruz was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and the timing made the decision look like another flashpoint in a season of frustration.
Detroit finished off the Yankees with a 11th-inning burst that included Spencer Torkelson forcing in the go-ahead run, Zach McKinstry lining a two-run single and catcher Ali Sanchez committing a throwing error that helped the Tigers widen the gap. Keider Montero got the win, Camilo Doval took the loss and no save was recorded.
New York had briefly clawed back in the ninth. Amed Rosario homered to tie it, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. came around on a wild pitch after stealing second and third on consecutive pitches.
That rally gave the crowd something to hold onto for a moment. The next two innings wiped it out.
Then came the move that set off the backlash.
The Yankees announced:
“Following today’s game, the Yankees optioned RHP Yovanny Cruz to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.”
That would usually be standard bullpen traffic. This time, it landed like a punch.
The Yankees had lost 11 of 14, according, and their relief corps had been taking hit after hit. David Bednar missed the Tigers series while on paternity leave and is expected back for the next game.
Two days earlier, the club had already needed 7 1/3 bullpen innings in a loss to Detroit.
Cruz had been brought up Tuesday as a fresh arm after Yerry De los Santos was optioned. He made his major league debut May 20 and opened his Yankees career with 2 1/3 scoreless innings over two relief appearances, according to the report. On Wednesday, fans pointed to his latest outing - two innings, three strikeouts, no hits and no runs - and wondered why that was the arm sent out.
“Yovanny yesterday 2IP, 3Ks, 0 hits or runs but sure let’s send him down when the rest of the Yankees bullpen sucks & is depleted. MAKE IT MAKE SENSE”
Another response captured the mood in even shorter form:
“Make any of it make sense”
And another:
“LUNACY!”
The reaction spread beyond ordinary fan grumbling. The source material said Jomboy, the prominent Yankees content creator, reacted with fury and threw his headphones after the Cruz move.
The pushback makes more sense when you look at Cruz’s numbers. Pinstripe Alley reported he carried a 3.18 ERA and a 3.88 FIP in 28 1/3 innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before his latest promotion.
Reuters reported he spent eight years in the minors across four organizations before reaching the majors this season. Add his first Yankees stint to Wednesday’s work, and he had thrown 4 1/3 scoreless major league innings with six strikeouts this year.
There are reasons a club might make that call. Optionable relievers get shuffled constantly, especially when teams need to juggle rest and roster space.
Pinstripe Alley also reported Cruz walked 4.1 hitters per nine innings in the minors. Bednar’s expected return only adds to the squeeze.
But the optics were ugly. The Yankees asked their bullpen to keep absorbing the damage, then sent down a rookie who had just given them exactly the kind of clean innings they were desperate for.
The loss itself only deepened the irritation. Reuters reported the Yankees had seven hits Wednesday and were looking at their first seven-game losing streak since a nine-game skid from Aug. 12 to 22, 2023. New York now has Thursday off before opening a series against the Minnesota Twins on Friday, but the off day won’t erase the questions around the bullpen and the way this move was handled.
For now, Cruz’s demotion has become more than a roster transaction. It’s another symbol of how quickly the Yankees’ frustration is spilling over.
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