We'll lead this off by saying the offense isn't getting a pass for another lackluster performance. Facing a 5.00+ ERA pitcher, you can't log just six hits and four walks, leave seven runners on base, finish 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position, and go down in order on four pitches in a 3-2 game in the top of the ninth when all is said and done.
But what you also can't do is completely crumble when you get a surprisingly good effort from a struggling pitcher such as Will Warren. Unfortunately, for as positive as the Yankees' start to 2025 has been, they still have a lot to figure out before the trade deadline.
Warren was cruising through five innings before allowing the first two runners to reach in the top of the sixth. He got pulled in favor of Mark Leiter Jr., and that's when all hell broke loose.
In just 2/3 of an inning, Leiter Jr. allowed one earned run on three hits and a walk (and charged two more runs to Warren as those inherited runners scored). It just doesn't get worse than that.
The right-hander was erratic, gave up some hard contact, and fell victim to soft contact somehow. We're really not sure how all of that can transpire in just a few minutes, but it did.
A passed ball allows Kwan to score who was already stealing third and the lead is cut to 2-1
Anthony Volpe, Mark Leiter Jr. fall apart in Yankees' series loss to Guardians
All it took was the Guardians to capitalize in that bottom of the sixth and the game was over. Aaron Judge tried his best, going 4-for-4, but the Yankees' last 16 batters logged just one hit. The offense was essentially dead outside of Ben Rice's leadoff homer and Judge's efforts.
Anthony Volpe recorded two of those outs in the final four innings, but his defense also let the Yankees down. He booted a tough ball when Leiter Jr. was trying to get out of a jam. That gave the Guardians the lead.
Volpe boots a ball and the Guardians take the lead
Admittedly, it was an incredibly difficult play, but whatever angle he took was probably the worst possible one he could've. One day we're talking about how tremendous Volpe's defense is, then the next day something like this happens in a tight spot. Frustrating. Aaron Boone called it an "impossible play" in the postgame, but we can't say it is.
Volpe had a chance to redeem himself, though, in the top of the eighth. With runners on first and second and two outs, he came to the plate against Hunter Gaddis. After completely whiffing on a fastball over the plate on the first pitch, Volpe then flailed at a slider out of the zone to strike out and end the inning. It was a really terrible at-bat.
Volpe goes down on strikes and the Yankees strand two in the eighth
Offensively, Volpe hasn't done much in the early going to prove his first two years mostly featured growing pains. We understand it's only April, but he was just mired in a 3-for-36 slump and is continuing to strike out at a high rate while struggling to hit fastballs.
We're going to keep tabs on all of this as the season progresses. We won't panic now. But this is what happened on Tuesday night, and the Yankees will need to win tomorrow and get a much-needed day of rest on Thursday to prepare for the Blue Jays this weekend.
