The Yankees had every ingredient they needed Thursday afternoon: a strong start from Max Fried, a bullpen that slammed the door, and a defense that helped erase trouble. What they did not have was any offense, and that was the whole story in a 1-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium.
Seattle needed just one swing to decide it. Weston Wilson launched a solo home run to left-center in the second inning, and that lone run stood up the rest of the way.
Fried was sharp enough to win most days. The left-hander gave up five hits and one earned run across five innings, walking two and striking out four.
He had to navigate some traffic in the third, and George Lombard Jr. helped him out with double plays in both the fourth and fifth innings. After that, Ryan Yarbrough, Yerry De Los Santos and Fernando Cruz combined to keep Seattle scoreless over the final four innings.
The Yankees’ problem was obvious from there: the pitching held up its end, and the lineup never answered.
Less than 24 hours after putting up 10 runs in Wednesday’s comeback win, the Yankees managed only four hits and were shut out for the seventh time this season. Logan Gilbert did the heavy lifting for Seattle, working six scoreless innings while allowing four hits, walking one and striking out seven. The Mariners’ bullpen finished the job.
The Yankees still had chances, though. Luis García Jr. doubled to open the second and stayed put.
In the third, Ali Sánchez singled and Trent Grisham followed with another hit, putting runners at the corners before Grisham was thrown out trying to advance. Ben Rice then grounded out, and the inning vanished.
García was basically the entire attack, finishing 2-for-4. Jazz Chisholm Jr. went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, Spencer Jones struck out twice, and George Lombard Jr. went hitless in four trips. As a team, the Yankees struck out 10 times.
The seventh inning captured the afternoon perfectly. José Caballero walked, stole third, and Ryan McMahon later drew a walk to give the Yankees another opening. Amed Rosario came off the bench with a chance to tie it, but he struck out, and the inning ended with nothing to show for it.
Seattle turned to José Ferrer in the eighth and Andrés Muñoz in the ninth, and the Yankees never broke through. Muñoz struck out Lombard and Chisholm to finish off the shutout.
The loss dropped the Yankees to 68-53, and it was the kind of game they will have a hard time forgetting. One run allowed over nine innings is usually enough to survive.
Fried gave them that. The bullpen gave them that.
The defense gave them that.
The bats didn’t.
Now the Yankees move on to Toronto, where Gerrit Cole is scheduled to start Friday in the opener of a three-game series. The pitching staff keeps putting them in position. The question is whether the offense will finally meet it.
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