How does one of MLB’s top teams get blanked by one of the worst? Just ask the Yankees. On Saturday afternoon, the unthinkable happened at Yankee Stadium. The Bronx Bombers were shut out by the lowly Athletics, dropping the second game of the series with barely a fight. Their bats went cold, their defense faltered, and now, even the first baseman, Paul Goldschmidt, is shouldering the blame.

After cruising to a 3–0 win in the series opener, the Yankees surely didn’t expect to be shut out 0–7 the next day, especially by a team with one of the worst ERAs in baseball. Even though starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt ended his scoreless streak, the Yankees’ bats forgot how to hit, making their June struggles even more obvious. They are now 12–13 over their last 25 games, definitely not something you’d expect from the AL East leaders. It’s clear that some of their best bats have cooled off, and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt admits he’s struggling.

“I mean, yeah, I feel good. I feel fine. But, you know, I have not played well for the last few weeks, maybe even this whole month,” Goldschmidt didn’t sugarcoat anything as he took questions from the media after the loss. “Again, that’s part of the game and working to see if there’s, you know, adjustments to be made and trying to show up every day and perform. But, yeah, I mean, that’s hurt our team the way I’ve played this month,” he continued, taking the blame for the team’s slump and his own.

Sure, his sixth-inning single ended an 0-for-20 slide, but that wasn’t nearly enough to translate into a win. In this crucial June stretch, he’s hitting only .231 with four home runs, 11 RBIs, and an OPS below .700. The 37-year-old veteran is struggling to find his swing. And it’s not just Goldschmidt. The entire lineup, including Aaron Judge, has gone silent at the bat. They could only manage three hits through nine innings. Further, Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone revealed that he clearly wasn’t okay with their approach in the game.

“Yeah, I mean, just held down. Obviously, we faced JP a lot over the years and had some pretty good success against him, but just didn’t create a lot with him today,” the skipper told the media. It’s true, the Yankees just couldn’t generate much against the exceptional pitching of JP Sears. The starting pitcher allowed only one hit through his five innings. Boone’s team will have to shake off this embarrassing loss somehow when they face the Athletics again on Sunday for the finale. And with Marcus Stroman making his return, they might have a better chance to take the series.

Marcus Stroman to start for Yankees on Sunday

Following a left knee inflammation, Stroman was sent to the IL in early April. Now, after nearly two and a half months, he is returning to the mound. As he takes the mound after three Minor League rehab starts with Double-A Somerset, expectations are clearly sky high. But guess what? His last outing was nothing short of a mess, looking more like his early-season struggles. Still, he’s staying optimistic about his comeback.

“I feel great. Excited to get back out there. It’s been a process,” Stroman told MLB.com’s Jared Greenspan. “I’m just making sure the knee’s moving well, body’s feeling good, arm’s feeling good,” he added. “I’m someone who definitely needs the intensity to turn it back up, so I’m looking forward to getting back out there.” If it’s intensity he needs, Yankee Stadium on Sunday will deliver that.

Aaron Boone also shared his hope: “He’s mostly built up and he feels ready to go. Hopefully, he represents that when we go out there tomorrow.” And yes, the Yankees desperately need a bounce-back. They even demoted starter Allan Winans to make space for Stroman. On Sunday, he’ll face A’s Luis Severino, a former Yankee, who returns to Yankee Stadium for the first time as a visitor.

The Yankees will be fighting hard to win the series, but Stroman’s injury concerns still linger in the air. Can the Bronx Bombers pull it off? We’ll have to wait until Sunday afternoon.