In the heart of the Bronx, a tough loss always feels a little heavier. The New York Yankees, cruising with the American League’s best record, hit a sudden wall. They lost to their archenemy, the Boston Red Sox, at home in a humiliating defeat. The sting of the defeat resonated inside the clubhouse afterward. DJ LeMahieu, the Yankees’ $90 million infielder, broke his silence amid the quiet reflections. His take on the pitcher he was facing was surprising. What did he really mean?

The scoreboard spelled out gloom and doom for the home team on June 7, 2025. The Red Sox walked out of Yankee Stadium with a convincing 10-7 victory. Boston’s offense ignited, shelling the Yankees’ pitchers for 14 hits. A brutal five-run third inning opened up a gap that the Bronx Bombers could not overcome. Despite a late push, seven runs from New York were not enough to fill the gap. For a first-place team, there are worse things than losing to a sub-.500 rivals at home always feel worse than just a single game.

Following the tough defeat, DJ LeMahieu spoke on the YES Network. He didn’t mince words about Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet. “He’s good. He’s got good stuff,” LeMahieu stated directly. He then added, “and thought we did a pretty good job against him tonight. You’re not going to have too many games and put up the runs like we did tonight but he’s good.” His comments seemed to downplay the loss while acknowledging the pitcher’s talent. It was a classic case of professional respect mixed with team pride.

So, why did LeMahieu offer such a measured take? The answer lies in a glance at Garrett Crochet’s season. The Red Sox ace entered the game with a sparkling 1.98 ERA and 101 strikeouts. The Yankees, however, pounded him for five earned runs in six innings in this game. It was a season high for the overpowering lefty. But Crochet still struck out nine batters, and he earned the win. LeMahieu understood that scoring five runs off a pitcher of Crochet’s caliber is not always easy — even when he is having an off night.

Red Sox silence Yankees in enemy territory

The game was a back-and-forth contest that was full of big moments. The Red Sox jumped ahead early and never truly looked back. Their five-run third inning put immense pressure on the Yankees. New York starter Ryan Yarbrough struggled with his command, something his manager addressed after the game. Manager Aaron Boone noted that Yarbrough “wasn’t getting into those real defined spots on the plate with his different pitches; maybe not his best cutter.” Yarbrough himself acknowledged that “a lot of [his cutters] were leaking more toward the middle,” which allowed the Red Sox to “put some better swings on it”.

The Yankees offense, meanwhile, did not go down without a fight. Catcher Austin Wells hit a pivotal three-run homer to keep his team in the game. Later, in the eighth inning, LeMahieu was the one to respond with a clutch two-run single. This single brought the Yankees within a breath, 8-7. But Boston’s bats had an answer one more time in the ninth. They added two insurance runs, effectively locking up victory and silencing the home crowd of over 47,000 fans.

This game pretty much sums up the contrasting seasons for these two historic rivals. The Yankees entered the contest leading the AL East with a stellar 39-23 record. They had been rolling, with eight victories in 11 games. By stark contrast, the Red Sox were struggling below .500 at 30-35. It left them 9.5 games behind the Yankees in the standings. The remarkable win in enemy territory gave Boston a much-needed morale boost and proving that in this rivalry, records often go out the window.

Now, what do you think of DJ LeMahieu’s assessment? Was it a fair comment or just a player trying to soften a tough loss? Let us know your thoughts.