With an erratic bullpen ruining their eagerly-awaited series-opener against the first-place Tigers, the Yankees lost a 12-2 laugher on Tuesday.
The Bombers are now 80-64 on the season. They are also three games behind the Blue Jays, who walked off the Astros on Tuesday, in the American League East.
Toronto also holds the tiebreaker over the Yanks as well.
An out-of-control seventh inning doomed the Yankees against Detroit, as four walks, one hit-by-pitch, and one wild pitch — as well as a leadoff double, two RBI singles and a two-run triple — led to the Tigers scoring eight runs before an out could be recorded.
Detroit ultimately totaled nine runs in the frame, which began with the score tied at two and Fernando Cruz entering the game.
“Just a rough inning for us and getting in the strike zone,” Aaron Boone said after the Yankees were done shooting themselves in the foot.
The right-handed Cruz had been sharp since returning from the injured list, recording a 1.17 ERA over seven games, but he let up a ground-rule double to Riley Greene before walking two batters and surrendering a run-scoring single to Parker Meadows, who had already hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning.
Cruz then issued another walk, forcing in a run and ending his night.
“I was battling, obviously,” Cruz said. “There’s not a doubt, and there’s going to be those nights that we just need to forget, come back tomorrow and do the job.
“This is a sport that, as you see, is not as easy as it looks. Sometimes you’re on top of the horse. Sometimes you get out of it. So you learn how to get on top again. It’s just something that happens in baseball. You’re never bigger than the game, and you always learn from failures.”
With Cruz off his game, Mark Leiter Jr. took over.
His command wasn’t any better, as Leiter surrendered an RBI bloop single to former Yankees prospect Trey Sweeney, which Anthony Volpe, playing in, couldn’t catch in center field, before pushing three more runs in with a hit-by-pitch, a walk and a wild pitch. Volpe had a 99% catch probability on the Sweeney play.
Kerry Carpenter then sent Leiter to the showers with a two-run triple.
A short while later, Boone was asked about Leiter’s lack of swing miss since coming off the injured list in early August. Leiter has just five strikeouts over that 13-game span.
Boone attributed the trend to “uneven work,” as Leiter has pitched in just four games since Aug. 25.
“He’s had some extended stretches where I haven’t gone to him,” the manager said. “There’s been a lot of games where it’s like, he’s up, I’m almost going to him, and it just hasn’t [happened]. So maybe that’s a little product of not having the consistent work. I think his stuff’s okay. Obviously, he’s behind tonight and not in the strike zone enough.”
According to Stathead’s Katie Sharp, the Yankees are now the second MLB team in the last 75 years to have two relievers allow four-plus earned runs and get zero outs in a game. The Angels also did it on Aug. 31, 1999 against Cleveland.
With Cruz and Leiter unable to hit the broad side of a barn, Tim Hill inherited their mess and eventually gave up a run on a force out before the nightmarish inning came to an end. Meanwhile, Paul Blackburn permitted an RBI single after a Ryan McMahon error in the eighth.
“I don’t know what to say, Will Warren said of the bullpen’s disastrous display in the seventh, as it spoiled a strong outing from the rookie right-hander. “I haven’t seen anything like that before, so [we’ll] come back out tomorrow and try it again.”
Warren tallied two hits, two earned runs — the Meadows homer — one walk, five strikeouts and 91 pitches over six innings. He now has a 4.22 ERA through 30 starts.
The pen’s implosion also overshadowed Aaron Judge’s continued rise in the Yankees’ record books, as he clubbed the 359th home run of his career in the first inning.
The solo shot, the conclusion of a seven-pitch at-bat, put Judge in sole possession of fifth place on the team’s all-time home run list. He had been tied with Hall of Famer Yogi Berra before Detroit starter Casey Mize left a splitter over the heart of the plate.
“He’s the definition of a true Yankee,” Judge said of Berra. “Anytime you’re on a list with a guy like that. It’s pretty remarkable.”
Judge, who has 44 home runs this season, is now chasing Joe DiMaggio, who hit 361 dingers in his career. Lou Gehrig (493), Mickey Mantle (536) and Babe Ruth (659) round out the Yankees’ top-five home run hitters.
Cody Bellinger also hit a solo homer in the fourth inning, but that was hardly enough with the Yankees’ relievers failing to find the strike zone.
The Yankees may have been able to score more had Volpe been able to get a bunt down with runners on first and second and nobody out in the fifth inning, but he popped one attempt foul before lining the next one at Tigers third baseman Colt Keith. That resulted in loud boos for the struggling shortstop before McMahon struck out and Trent Grisham flew out on a 3-0 count.
“That’s a chance to kind of grab the lead there and hopefully run with it,” Boone said. “Just weren’t able to get it done.”
Volpe also struck out twice after Boone considered — but opted against — starting José Caballero at shortstop. Volpe now has a .661 OPS and an 81 wRC+ this season.
Originally Published: September 9, 2025 at 10:06 PM EDT