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It has been a few days since the MLB All-Star Game, but the New York Yankees still can't seem to get the monkey off their back. The Yankees were soundly defeated by their divisional counterpart Baltimore Orioles 6-3 on Saturday.
The New York Yankees have now dropped three of their last four games to start the second half of the season. They have split their last six encounters with the Orioles and barely escaped with a 7-6 victory in Friday's matchup.
Fans were quick to take to social media to call out the team for its poor recent performances.
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The New York Yankees still hold the best record in baseball (65-31). However, they have won only four of their last 10 games. Meanwhile, the Baltimore Orioles have won seven of their last 10 games and are just half a game behind the Boston Red Sox.
Gerrit Cole gave up four runs in six innings of play on Saturday. His Baltimore counterpart, Trey Lyles, issued three in five innings. What determined the outcome of this game was the bullpen.
Former All-Star Shane Greene, who was just recalled from Triple A, issued a late two-run home run to Ramon Urias. The two-run shot padded the lead for the Orioles.
The Orioles' bullpen, on the other hand, held the fort for the team. Four Baltimore relievers checked into the game and gave up just three combined hits of no-run baseball.
At the plate, Aaron Judge, Matt Carpenter and DJ LeMahieu continued to produce for the Yankees. It wasn't enough, however, as the others in the batting order failed to deliver and went 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position.
New York Yankees struggling in the second half of the season
There is no doubt that the New York Yankees are still playoff powerhouses. However, their recent form, or lack thereof, has been a cause for concern for some fans.
The Yankees seemed out of sorts to start the second half of the year.
With the trade deadline looming, it will be interesting to see which pieces they move to assemble a squad for the playoffs.
Saturday's game could be a minor roadblock on their way to success. However, these small losses add up, especially during the seeding for the postseason.
It is an understatement to say that every game counts. This is especially true now that the Astros are hot on the Yankees' heels and are just 2.5 games behind for the best record in baseball.
