Yankees get honest about outlook on slide after back-to-back losses to Rays

Once 28 games over .500, the Yankees lost 18 of the first half’s final 26 games and entered the All-Star break with a much-needed chance to hit the reset button.

After winning the second half’s opener, Friday’s 6-1 victory against the Rays, New York (59-42) has dropped back-to-back games against Tampa Bay (50-49), following Saturday’s 9-1 defeat with Sunday’s 6-4 loss and restarting an all-too-familiar trend.

In Sunday’s casualty, the Yankees were scoreless until Aaron Judge‘s seventh-inning solo shot put New York on the board at 3-1 with one out.

But the would-be spark from Judge’s MLB-leading 35th homer and 89th RBI did not come to fruition for the Yankees, who posted a 2-for-10 mark with runners in scoring position and left nine on base.

Judge and Juan Soto, who followed Judge’s 2-for-4 afternoon with a 3-for-5 day that included a ninth-inning RBI double, were not enough as the Yankees enter Monday’s 1:05 p.m. finale searching for a 2-2 series split.

“No weight,” Judge said. “I’ve got good guys behind me. It’s baseball. You’re going to go through some ups and downs, and you’re going to click for a little bit, but there’s months where other guys are going to carry this team and there’s months where I’ve got to pick it up and carry the team, and it’s all part of it.

“But I can’t think about anything besides what I’ve got to do — if I’ve got to get on base for the guy behind me, drive guys in when they’re out there. Just try to keep it as simple as I can and you kind of forget about everything else.”

Right-hander Marcus Stroman, who allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits (two homers) while fanning five on 87 pitches (62 strikes) in 5.1 IP, put his lack of run support into perspective.

“It’s hard to be incredible for 162,” said Stroman, who is 7-5 with a 3.51 ERA through 20 starts on the 2024 season. “I think we have a lot of confidence … how good (Soto has) been — all year, him and Judge — I think we’re kind of losing sight of how incredible those two guys have been.

“So they can’t do everything, each and every single time. We can’t put all the pressure on them. But yeah, it’s been tough. It’s been tough. It’s been a little bit of a slide. But like I said, I think it’s going to turn in our favor soon.”

With the Baltimore Orioles‘ 3-2 loss at the Texas Rangers, the Yankees remain two games out of the 60-39 O’s for first place in the AL East.

“This game’s hard for us right now, and we’ve got to find a way,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. “We know we’re better than this, and we’ve got to come ready and salvage a series tomorrow.”