They’re chasing history in The Bronx again.
Except, instead of fans flocking to Yankee Stadium, they may be soon avoiding it at all costs.
Rather than anticipation, there is dread.
Make no mistake, this Yankees team may be remembered, but for all the wrong reasons.
With Sunday’s latest crushing loss, a 6-5 sweep-sealing setback to the hated Red Sox in The Bronx, the Yankees equaled their longest losing streak (eight) since 1995.
They haven’t led since the second inning last Monday against the Braves, a span of 50 innings.
The franchise’s first losing season since 1992 seems almost a given after they fell to 60-64.
The latest defeat was as painful as any this season.
The Yankees rallied to tie it three times.
They scored more runs on Sunday (five) than they had in their previous four games (four).
It appeared as though they had gone ahead in the eighth on an Anthony Volpe single only for a close play at the plate to get reversed.
Then, predictably, Clay Holmes allowed the go-ahead run to score on a Justin Turner double in the ninth.
“It’s a gut-punch today, especially in the fashion we lost it,” Isiah Kiner-Falefa said. “It’s a tough one.”
Speaking of the Yankees’ general struggles, he added: “This can’t be happening.”
Kiner-Falefa was initially ruled safe in the bottom of the eighth on Volpe’s single.
But after a lengthy review, it was overturned.
Left fielder Rob Refsnyder slipped while fielding the hit, and Kiner-Falefa attempted to score. It didn’t look like there was clear evidence catcher Connor Wong applied the tag in time, but the original safe call was overturned.
The Yankees then reviewed that call, arguing that Wong was blocking the plate without the ball.
The ruling came down to the fact that Wong was in a legal position and was reacting to the trajectory of the throw, according to an MLB replay supervisor.
“I didn’t feel like they had enough to overturn it,” Kiner-Falefa said. “On the big screen, [I] definitely didn’t see anything where he clearly tagged me. So I think I got in there. Or I didn’t think they had enough to overturn it.”
But they lost the review, the latest example of anything that could go wrong working against them.
The bad luck continued in the bottom of the ninth, as Greg Allen missed a game-tying home run by inches, settling for a leadoff double off the top of the wall.
Kenley Jansen went on to strand him at second for the save, recording the final out on a drive by Ben Rortvedt — there was no one left on the bench to replace the light-hitting catcher — drive that died just shy of the warning track in right-center field.
“Another one that stings to lose, especially what we’re going through. But we’re not allowed to let it be deflating,” manager Aaron Boone said after the Yankees lost for the eighth time in nine games to the rival Red Sox this year. “We have to dig ourselves out and play better and start winning games.”
The Red Sox went ahead for a second time in the sixth thanks to shaky defense from the Yankees. After Rafael Devers and Turner reached to start the inning, Masataka Yoshida hit a routine double-play ball.
There was, however, nothing routine with how the Yankees’ middle infield handled the play.
Gleyber Torres’ flip was poor, well to the right-field side of second base and Volpe threw wildly to first.
It enabled Devers to score all the way from second base.
Torres atoned for the miscue in the bottom half of the frame, launching his 19th homer of the season to pull the Yankees even at two.
He tomahawked a 1-2 fastball up and in over the wall in straightaway left field.
The good feelings were fleeting. Michael King served up a three-run homer to Turner in the seventh after intentionally walking Devers.
Out of nowhere, the Yankees responded with, what is for them, an offensive explosion.
It started innocently, a Harrison Bader infield single.
Billy McKinney walked and Volpe went deep to the opposite field, eliciting the loudest “Let’s go Yankees” chant of the day.
The three-run seventh was their largest offensive output in a single inning since scoring three times against the Marlins nine days ago in the fourth inning of that series’ opener.
They had a chance to go ahead, but pinch-hitter Giancarlo Stanton flew out, stranding two runners. It was symbolic of the frustrating day for the Yankees — close, but ultimately not enough.
“I feel like,” Volpe said, “everyone’s pretty pissed.”
