NEW YORK — The Yankees’ in-division struggles continue to snowball, and their inability to adjust has become a glaring weakness in 2025. After today’s loss, New York now sits at a dismal 1-8 against the Red Sox and a combined 4-15 against Boston and Toronto. That’s not just a slump — it’s a full-blown collapse within the most critical games of the season.

What’s most concerning is that the Yankees’ approach hasn’t shifted despite these results. The lineup continues to press at the plate, failing to generate consistent traffic against familiar division arms, while the defense and pitching staff have offered little margin for error. Managerial decisions, bullpen usage, and lack of situational hitting have only compounded the problem.

These divisional matchups are going to be the difference between playoff security and a late-season scramble, and right now the Yankees have failed the test — and this is common in Aaron Boone lead teams. Unless the club makes tangible adjustments — whether in their lineup construction, in-game strategy, or overall mentality — they risk digging themselves a hole that no amount of wins outside the division can cover.

At some point, the Yankees need to fight back. The familiar postgame mantras of “it’s right in front of us” or “we’ll get them tomorrow” have worn thin. They may sound optimistic, but when paired with eight consecutive losses to a division rival — this division rival in particular — they ring hollow. The Red Sox have not only beaten the Yankees, they’ve outclassed them in nearly every phase of the game, exposing flaws that New York has refused or failed to address and continue to not address those issues after exposed.

This kind of skid doesn’t just happen without consequence. Every defeat in the rivalry carries weight, magnified by history, emotion, and the playoff implications that linger with every head-to-head battle. Eight losses in a row to Boston isn’t just a bad stretch — it’s a statement about where the two franchises currently stand. One is dictating the terms of the rivalry, and the other is shrugging it off with clichés.

The Yankees can’t afford to keep leaning on tomorrow. Tomorrow won’t fix defensive lapses. Tomorrow won’t erase poor situational hitting or questionable bullpen usage. And tomorrow won’t soften the sting of watching their fiercest rival climb the standings at their expense. At some point, words need to give way to urgency, accountability, and a willingness to change the narrative. Because if this version of the Yankees doesn’t start punching back soon, the season could quickly slip away.