There’s something called a meltdown, then there’s whatever the Yankees did on Saturday. In a game that will linger for all the wrong reasons, the Yankees’ collapse against the lowly Athletics defied logic, reason, and even basic baseball competence. Not even Carlos Rodon’s brilliance on the mound could shield this team from its unraveling.

Well, this wasn’t just a loss, it was a gut punch, a damning one, about where the Yankees are right now, and perhaps where they’re headed.

The game saw the Yankees routinely leading till six innings. The Yankees held a steady lead, Carlos Rodon had done his job with sharp precision, and a win against the struggling Athletics seemed all but sealed. Then came the seventh inning, and with it, chaos.

Rodon had done everything asked of him in the game. For 6 innings, he walked off the mound having thrown scoreless baseball, putting the Yankees in a prime position to close the door. Instead, he watched how things went downhill from the seventh.

“I thought we swung the bat well, and just unfortunately we couldn’t hold on, and you know as a group we needed to throw the ball better, including myself, so you did have swing and miss stuff today.”

Sounds disappointing! What should have been a routine win turned into a nightmare collapse. The bullpen, trusted to finish the job, imploded. Seven runs poured in across the seventh and eighth innings, and with them went the game. What began as Rodon’s gem ended as another black mark in a season gasping for clutch performances.

Well, this was a nosedive from the edge of victory. A team that prides itself on history, on professionalism, on polish, had crumbled against one of the league’s bottom-dwellers. The Athletics didn’t steal this game. The Yankees handed it over, one shaky pitch at a time!

So, while Rodon rounds into his best, the bullpen is still searching for theirs. Until they find it, the Bronx will have to brace for more nights like this. Games within reach, slipping away in late innings, decided not by talent, but by trust that’s wearing thin.

The Yankees’ bullpen woes 

The pattern of how the Yankees lost to the A’s is nothing new. Just days earlier, on May 5, the Yankees lost 4-3 to the Padres after closer Devin Williams struggled, loading the bases in the eighth inning. Luke Weaver, who replaced Williams, allowed a two-run double to Manny Machado and another to Xander Bogaerts, leading to the defeat.

Reportedly, the Yankees’ walk rate of 3.49 per nine innings ranks 24th. Now, that’s a glaring red flag, especially in high-leverage situations. Against a disciplined lineup like the Athletics, who don’t chase much and make consistent contact, free passes often mean big trouble. That’s exactly what happened when they turned a 7-4 deficit into an 11-7 win. You can see a few walks, a few well-timed hits, and the floodgates opened.

The bullpen’s woes are compounded by injuries to key pitchers like Gerrit Cole and Marcus Stroman, forcing the team to rely on less-experienced arms. For instance, Carlos Carrasco, brought in to fill gaps, offered underwhelming performances, including a 5.91 ERA over eight appearances. Historically, the Yankees’ bullpen has been a strength, but recent seasons have seen a decline in reliability, with past relievers like Aroldis Chapman and Clay Holmes also experiencing late-game struggles.

Solution?

To address these challenges, the Yankees are exploring internal options. Ryan Yarbrough, known for his versatility, is being considered for a more prominent role. A new starter might be on the radar! Nevertheless, the Yankees will need to stabilize their bullpen to maintain competitiveness and capitalize on strong performances from their starters and offense.