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·3 min read

The worst Yankees losses of 2021

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Haven’t blogged in awhile for a variety of reasons. For one, baseball is currently in a lockout. Mostly, however, because of how exhausting the 2021 Yankees’ season was.

Inconsistent play, brutal hitting, and worst of all, the agonizing late losses. I needed some time to decompress. Three months ago, I promised to eventually power rank those losses.

I figure there’s no better time to do that than now. Let’s revisit the Yankees’ worst losses of 2021 and leave them there before the calendar changes. I’m leaving out the Wild Card game because obviously getting eliminated sucks and that game felt like it was over from the start.

Without further ado, let’s make it hurt.

Honorable mentions:

  • 6/10 at Minnesota: Chapman blows save on 9 pitches with Donaldson & Cruz homers
  • 7/4 vs. Mets: Nightmare 7th inning in game 1 of the doubleheader
  • 5/6 vs. Astros: Altuve homer off Green
  • 6/12 at Philly: DJ 3-run homer to tie it in 9th only to lose in 10th
  • Getting swept in Detroit MDW
  • All eight losses to the Orioles (specifically 9/5 when Heaney blew a late lead)

5. 7/22 @Boston: Green blows save, Kriske meltdown in 10th

We start at Fenway Park with the Yankees seven games back of their rivals and starting a four-game set. After scoring two in the eighth to take a 3-1 lead, it looked as though the Bombers could steal the first game.

Unfortunately, Chad Green blew the save in the 9th to send the game into extras.

The Yanks managed to scratch across a run in the top of the 10th. But that was followed by literally the worst pitching performance I’ve ever seen from Brooks Kriske.

Starting such an important series off this way was a gut punch. It was almost immediately followed by another on Sunday.

4. 7/25 @Boston: Johnny Lasagna meltdown blows German’s gem

The Yankees were absolutely cruising in this one. 4-0 lead into the seventh inning with Domingo German tossing a no-hitter. Unfortunately, no lead at Fenway Park is ever safe, especially for the 2021 Yankees.

German surrendered a leadoff double to Alex Verdugo to break up the no-no. He was lifted for Jonathan Loaisiga, who did not have it whatsoever, allowing four runs without recording a single out. I love Johnny Lasagna more than life itself, but he was responsible for this brutal L.

3. 6/30 vs. Angels: Chapman surrenders slam after long rain delay

This game felt like it took days. The Bombers chased Shohei Ohtani after just two-thirds of an inning with seven runs in the first. However, the Angels shaved the lead to 7-4 before an hour and a half rain delay. With an 8-4 lead going into the ninth, Aroldis Chapman entered. What could go wrong, right?

My jaw hit the floor when that happened. Staying up past 1 AM to see the Angels hang a 7 spot in the 9th was just beyond awful.

2. 7/11 @Houston: Altuve again.

A 7-2 lead going to the ninth to cap off a sweep of the Astros heading into the All-Star break sounds too good to be true. The Astros scoring six runs in the bottom half of the inning capped off by a Jose Altuve three-run walkoff homer sounds too bad to be true. These were both reality on this day.

I hate the guy but up to this point, Altuve has always had the last laugh. Just a cruel decade of Yankees baseball.

1. 8/12 @Corn: Field of Dreams game

This game was so freaking awesome until it made me wanna die. When Judge and Stanton both went deep to take the lead, I thought I was watching an all-time classic Yankee game.

Then Zack Britton continued his season from hell & turned an instant classic into the worst loss of 2021.

Field of Dreams game, a spectacle on national TV. Our two sluggers heroically give us the lead after being down three in the 9th. Only to lose like that. So much pain.

My only New Year’s resolution is to leave the 2021 Yankees in 2021.

What’d I miss? What’s your opinion on the worst loss of the season? Comment or tweet me @ncostanzo24