ARLINGTON — The Yankees have lost five straight games for the third time since June 13th, and the team looks completely lifeless and does not show any signs of coming out of their losing ways.

The Yankees and Brian Cashman executed a close to perfect trade deadline last week and the Yankees have not won a game since and they are finding completely new ways to lose, even though they are the same ways.

The bullpen, particularly the usage of Devin Williams, has been a persistent issue. Williams began the season with significant struggles, eventually losing his role as closer. However, he regained the position by default after Luke Weaver was placed on the injured list with a hamstring injury on June 1. For roughly a month, Williams performed well, showing signs of his previous form. As July progressed, however, his performance began to decline. Williams developed a pattern of surrendering one run while still converting the save opportunity—until June 30, when he blew his first save since April, allowing a two-run home run to Josh Lowe on a changeup. The struggles continued when manager Aaron Boone entrusted him with a one-run lead in Texas, only for Williams to give up a game-tying home run to the slumping Joc Pederson—again on a changeup. The Yankees ultimately lost in extra innings after recently acquired reliever Jake Bird, who was optioned to Triple-A on Tuesday, surrendered a walk-off three-run home run to Josh Jung.

After the game, manager Aaron Boone admitted that the Yankees might be “a little more open to using some other guys”.

So, with the game tied at zero going into the eighth inning, Aaron Boone felt that it would be best to go to his fourth best closer in a big spot. Williams would get a groundout, then allow a double off the glove of Jasson Dominguez in left (which needs to be caught), then walk the next two to load the based for Rowdy Tellez. Tellez would put up a fantastic at-bat on Williams, and after 10 pitches, he flicked a single into center, giving the Rangers a two-run lead. Boone would then keep Williams in the game where Heim would smoke another ball that Volpe would make a terrific play on, then Williams was pulled.

That is a lot to take in. To summarize, i’ll use a quote from Albert Einstein: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. Aaron Boone decided that the same lane that gave him issues from last night — including the batter that tied the game off him — would be a smart spot for a landing. It of course backfired, but the big question to Aaron Boone is why did you continue to leave Williams in there with Bednar and Leiter Jr. up and ready?,

“I was going to maybe go with Bednar in a four-out situation, just kinda shortening the game a little bit.” Boone told the media on Tuesday. “We don’t have a lot left down there, Leiter being in a situation where he obviously hasn’t pitched in a while. If I could get it to a four-out scenario, I was going to do it. I thought Devin could still get some swing and miss there, but obviously didn’t.”

So consiveing outs is more of a priority than winning games now, because that’s exactly what this quote insinuates. It was very clear from the two walks that Williams did not have his swing and miss stuff — and has not had it for awhile now — but it was thought that the best thing for winning a game would be to leave him? That to me is crazy.

And for those wondering, Tim Hill could have been in play tonight, but Boone said that the Rangers would have just pinch-hit all their righties against Hill. So once again, because of the lanes, one of your best relievers can’t pitch in a spot they are good in, even though he can still get righties out.

It is time for the Yankees to get serious. They are in serious jeopardy of falling out of a playoff spot for the first time since the end of the 2023 season, and potentially not getting it back if they don’t start cleaning it up, and it starts from the top with the messaging. Like Ben Rice said, “I think a little sense of urgency would be good for us”.

(Top Image Credit: YES Network)