The Cubs just stopped the Yankees’ five-game winning streak, and their latest win comes at a time when it was needed the most. Just when the Brewers and the Cubs are contending for the pole position in the NL Central, the win in the second game against the Yankees gave Chicago a one-game lead at the top of the chart. However, there’s more to the game. The Cubs might just have shown the Bombers about how to make the pitch count in the clutch moments.

Well, the Yankees came into Saturday riding high on a five-game winning streak, their offense firing on all cylinders and momentum firmly in their grasp. Aaron Judge continued his historic tear, with a two-run homer that etched his name in the record books as the fastest player to reach 350 career homers. But even a milestone of that magnitude couldn’t save the Yankees from a 2-5 loss. And the major courtesy goes to the rough start of the Yankees veteran Max Fried.

And guess what? He was humble enough to acknowledge the situation. “I was bad. I just wasn’t good,” Fried told reporters afterward. “Not being able to execute pitches and get outs when I needed them, and it was just unfortunate timing. I was grinding, and it popped up at the end.”

Well, in the second game against the Cubs, Fried had a rough outing. You could easily rate this his worst since signing that big seven-year, $218 million deal with the Yankees this past offseason. Notably, he gave up four runs on six hits and three walks before getting pulled. And the latest loss drops him to 11-3 with a 2.43 ERA over 20 starts. Lately, though, he’s been a bit shaky, giving up at least three runs in four of his last five starts.

And amid the Yankees’ struggling, it couldn’t be a better time for the Cubs’ slugger, Matthew Boyd, to end the night with his heroics.

Boyd proved again on Saturday exactly why he’s been one of the top starters in the league this year. Notably, he went a season-best eight shutout innings, the longest outing by any Cubs pitcher so far. He struck out six and held the Yankees to just four hits. However, what’s more commendable is that Boyd has now thrown shutout starts in three of his last four games, including his previous two heading into the All-Star break. And since June, he’s been on a tear, going 5-1 with a 1.43 ERA and 38 strikeouts over 50.1 innings.

But for the Yankees, they had a different concern to look after. Fried was seen checking his left hand a few times in the game and seemed to be having trouble with both his grip and command. Now that was a scary sight.

The Yankees are facing a new injury scare

Things went from bad to worse for Max Fried and the Yankees on Saturday. Not only did Fried struggle with a 5-2 loss to the Cubs, but he also had to leave the game with a blister on his left index finger. And that’s especially concerning given how thin the Yankees’ rotation already is. If you remember, Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt are both out after Tommy John surgery.

Moreover, Luis Gil hasn’t pitched since spring due to a lat strain, and Ryan Yarbrough, brought in as injury cover, is also on the IL with an oblique issue. Hence, losing Fried for any stretch would be a serious blow now for the team. Incidentally, he’s dealt with this exact blister issue before. It landed him on the IL three times, most recently in September 2023. Fried also had a similar problem with his middle finger back in 2018.

But what about this time?

“He’s dealt with a little bit this year and been treated pretty well. So we’ll see how the next few days unfold,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

Well, back in 2019, the Yankees made an unwanted history by placing a record-breaking 30 players on the injured list. Fast forward to 2025, and the sense of déjà vu is creeping in once again. With Max Fried being the latest one to join the list, it could mark the Yankees’ 12th IL designation this season.

A greater challenge to deal with by the Bombers once the All-Star break ends.