ROLE REVERSAL
D’BACKS 4 YANKEES 2
The Yankees debuted some of their “Savages” t-shirts before Tuesday’s game against the Diamondbacks.
Then their bats went silent in a 4-2 loss to Arizona, and they lost Luke Voit to a core muscle injury.
In front of the sixth sellout at Yankee Stadium this season, they lost for the fourth time in five games.
This time, pitching wasn’t the main issue.
Instead, it was an offense that had scored at least five runs in six of their previous seven games that let them down.
With Wednesday’s trade deadline approaching and general manager Brian Cashman looking to upgrade the pitching staff any way he can, the Yankees were beaten by an Arizona team that entered having dropped three of four to Miami and seemingly sellers.
But the Yankees came out “flat,” according to Aaron Judge, who admitted the trade deadline rumors might be affecting the team.
“You can’t help but think about it,’’ Judge said. “I know guys are probably watching and wondering what’s gonna happen based on the position we’re in, being contenders and first in the division.”
Like much of the rest of the sport, Judge was curious how the team would look by 4 p.m. Wednesday.
“You’ve still got to focus on winning ballgames,’’ Judge said. “If it’s with this crew or if we add people, nobody knows. I think we’re all gonna be happy once this trade deadline is passed.”
J.A. Happ, making his first start since he allowed six runs in 3¹/3 innings in Minnesota last week, was back to being the mediocre pitcher he has been for much of the season.
He gave up three runs in six innings and at least gave the Yankees some depth, as Domingo German did in Boston on Sunday after a week of horrid starting pitching.
The left-hander flirted with disaster in the first, loading the bases with one out with two singles and a walk.
But he recovered and gave up just a sacrifice fly to Adam Jones to hold the Diamondbacks to one run.
The lefty’s problems resurfaced in the fourth, as Christian Walker led off with a homer to the short porch in right and Jones followed with a double to left and scored on a single by Nick Ahmed to give the Diamondbacks a 3-0 lead.
Arizona right-hander Taylor Clarke entered with a 6.10 ERA and hadn’t gotten out of the fourth inning in two of his previous three starts, but mostly dominated the Yankees and gave up just an unearned run in 5 ¹ /3 innings.
And it took a bizarre error by Jones in right to get the Yankees offense started.
Judge, hitless in his last 14 at-atbats and in a 1-for-22 slide, led off the sixth with a liner that Jones should have caught, but the right fielder flinched and the ball bounced off his glove for a two-base error.
Edwin Encarnacion followed with a booming double to right-center to cut the Yankees’ deficit to 3-1.
The Yankees loaded the bases later in the inning before Mike Tauchman grounded out to end the threat.
Luis Cessa came in and gave the run right back on Carson Kelly’s leadoff homer, and though a homer from Tyler Wade — in for Voit — made it 4-2 in the eighth, the Yankees couldn’t rally against Archie Bradley.
The Diamondbacks have beaten the Yankees in all three games they have played this season, even though they entered the night a game under .500.
And if Voit is out for any length of time, it will also take a toll on a lineup that is already without Giancarlo Stanton, Gary Sanchez and Brett Gardner, and with Judge in a slump.
Judge said he noticed he was 1-for-19 during the game when he was working on his swing.
Despite that, he said he’s “feeling good.”
“You’ve got to laugh at it sometimes,’’ Judge said. “I’m not happy with it. … You’re gonna have those 0-for-20s and 0-for-30s and those months where a ball is as big as a watermelon. You’ve got to keep grinding.”