BURN IT DOWN. THE YANKEES HAVE TO REBUILD.

The Rays swept the Yankees, celebrated in their ballpark, and blasted “New York, New York” in the visiting clubhouse.

They took the series. Then they took the soundtrack.

Want to stop another team from turning your stadium into a punchline? Beat them. Tampa Bay earned its celebration. The Yankees earned another winter of uncomfortable questions that somehow never seem to produce meaningful consequences.

Start with Brian Cashman. Then Aaron Boone. This operation needs a complete overhaul, and another offseason of rearranging the same furniture isn’t going to cut it.

Fire Boone. Move on from Cashman. Burn down this approach and build something that actually works in October.

Look at the offense against Tampa Bay:

• Game 1: One hit. Zero runs. A 1–0 loss.

• Game 2: Two runs, both on solo homers by Ben Rice. A 5–2 loss.

• Game 3: Three runs. A 4–3 loss that ended the season.

Five runs in three games. That’s 1.67 runs per game, calculated from those scores. Gerrit Cole gave them a chance in the opener, and the lineup responded by practically disappearing. Austin Wells finally broke up the no-hitter, then got thrown out trying to stretch his double into a triple. Their only hit became another mistake.

This wasn’t merely an offense going cold. It was a team failing to execute when every out mattered.

Four errors in Game 2. Then, with elimination staring them in the face, Boone moved Wells up to sixth. Wells went 0-for-3 before being lifted for a pinch hitter. Trent Grisham went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts in the finale. Those are the results of the lineup Boone trusted to save the season.

And Boone’s Game 2 decisions deserve scrutiny.

Against left-hander Ian Seymour, he let Luis García Jr. and Spencer Jones hit in the sixth, then stayed with Jazz Chisholm, Grisham and Wells in the seventh. Seymour retired all five. Boone had right-handed alternatives sitting on the bench. His explanation was that Seymour’s numbers made him a relatively neutral matchup, and that he was waiting for baserunners before deploying those alternatives.

Waiting for somebody to reach base while the offense keeps making outs is a hell of a rescue plan.

Yes, there was a statistical argument for staying with the lefties. That doesn’t make the decision untouchable. A manager has to recognize when his plan is producing nothing and decide whether another approach gives his team a better chance.

Boone watched the outs accumulate.

Then came the elimination-game shuffle. Jazz and Ryan McMahon sat. Anthony Volpe and José Caballero started. Asked about choosing Volpe, Boone offered: “Just felt like it.”

Volpe actually contributed in Game 3. Give him that. But the Boone’s explanation still deserves more than a shrug. With the season on the line, fans are entitled to hear a coherent baseball reason.

That’s my problem with Boone’s constant tinkering: What is the governing principle? Matchups? A hot hand? Defense? A feeling? Players need defined responsibilities, and fans need some evidence that all this movement serves a purpose. We cannot prove that lineup changes caused the offensive collapse. We can absolutely judge Boone by the collapse he failed to stop.

He is a failed championship leader. Fire him.

And Cashman doesn’t get to hide behind the manager he keeps endorsing. He built the roster. If the available choices keep leaving Boone searching for a spark, the person assembling those choices belongs in the firing line, too.

Then there’s Jazz, questioning the boos:

“So you’re booing a guy that’s playing, trying to help the team win, and you’re hearing boos instead of trying to hype guys up.”

Jazz, nobody owes you a standing ovation for trying.

You finished the regular season with 19 homers, 41 steals, a .231 average and a .711 OPS. The 19/41 club. Not the 50/50 club. Those steals have value. Your athletic ability has value. But the swagger needs more consistent production behind it. Play cleaner. Play better. Give the fans something to cheer about.

Fans paying real money to watch another October collapse are allowed to express disgust. Millionaire players treating the crowd’s frustration like the central problem is pathetic. The boos didn’t construct this roster or make those errors.

Do not bring back Jazz. Do not bring back Grisham. Get a dependable everyday catcher. Shop Volpe and make a trade that improves this team.

That doesn’t mean giving Volpe away for nothing. It means ending the attachment to what everybody was supposed to become. Evaluate what they are, what they can realistically become, and whether someone else makes the Yankees better.

Judge is asking the front office to address the holes and go all in. He’s right. His message is especially pointed because he also acknowledged that a winning team alone isn’t enough in New York. For accuracy, he backed Boone’s return; the demand to fire Boone is mine.

Build a complete roster around your captain. Stop asking one superstar to cover every organizational weakness.

Get hitters who put together competitive at-bats. Get defenders who finish routine plays. Establish roles. Hire a manager who communicates clearly and demands execution. Make every department answer for whether its work produces a better baseball team.

The greatest franchise in baseball history cannot keep selling its past as an excuse for its present.

I haven’t paid for a ticket to that ballpark in four years because I’m done financing the same bad movie. Be a fan however you want. But ask yourself what incentive this organization has to change if disappointment keeps selling just as well as ambition.

The fans want a championship.

Stop asking us to accept less while charging us more.

Fire Boone. Move on from Cashman. Revamp the roster.

Burn it down and build it back up—because this version of the Yankees has exhausted its excuses.

It is absolutely pathetic.

STOP PAYING FOR THE SAME DAMN YANKEE FAILURE

It's a Boone loss in the playoffs, because leaders need to lead when a team needs them most. But Boone can't lead. Boone can't close and worst of all, the fans? The fans are fed up. But I have bone to pick with the fans in this post... so read and you will see what I think for real.

Look, it's another October and it's another embarrassment. But we at Bleeding Yankee Blue told you this was going to happen.  It's pathetic and obvious to everyone except Brian Cashman. Last night another team celebrating in the Bronx while the Yankees prepare to explain why the roster they assembled and the baseball, they played were not good enough.

The Rays finished the sweep last night, beating the Yankees 4–3. Ben Rice delivered an RBI single. Spencer Jones added an RBI double. New York fought back to tie it twice, then Victor Mesa Jr. hammered a two-run homer off Max Fried in the sixth. Anthony Volpe’s apparent tying homer became an RBI double after a fan-interference review. Volpe still had this high school demeanor about his like he was robbed by the umpires, but that's what happens when you get everything you want in your life without working hard to get it. But whatever, he shouldn't have even been in the line up.  Bottom line, the Yankees never recovered. Season over.

And please, spare me the argument that one replay decision explains a three-game sweep.

This is the same bad movie, and the Yankees keep charging admission like they’ve produced a masterpiece.

Aaron Boone is a failed leader. A loser in the job this organization supposedly values most: delivering a championship. The stupidity is watching the failures pile up and continuing to treat his leadership as something worth protecting.

After the loss, Boone said, “We gotta be more complete offensively, defensively, pitching.” 

What a stupid fuck. So… everything, Aaron? You talk to the press like an 11-year-old. Go away.

You manage a baseball team, and your October assessment is that it needs to improve at practically every part of baseball. What the hell are we preserving here?

Boone should lose his job. Fire this dope. There needs to be a consequence beyond standing at a microphone and explaining another failure.

But firing Boone while protecting Brian Cashman would leave the bigger problem sitting comfortably upstairs.

Cashman builds these teams. He owns the roster, the holes, and the assumptions that fall apart when the competition gets tougher. He cannot keep collecting credit for the talent while treating the weaknesses as somebody else’s responsibility. Cashman is more complacent this year than the last. I mean do you realize that both Cam Schlittler and Rice have succeeded better than any other player this year on the Yankees and it has NOTHING to do with Cashman? I mean, think about that for a second.

Yes, the Yankees reached the World Series in 2024. Nobody forgot. They also didn’t finish the job. A World Series appearance does not buy this front office permanent immunity from criticism.

How many chances does one executive get to solve the same problem?

And why does ownership keep acting as though replacing the people responsible would be more dangerous than keeping them?

Because the money keeps coming.

Fans bitch. Fans boo. Fans demand changes. Then fans reach into their pockets and pay this organization again. Why? Stop doing that.

The Yankees keep losing, and you keep spending your hard-earned money on the losers responsible. Tickets. Parking. Concessions. The whole expensive ritual. You work all week, pay the bill, and get another October explanation from people whose jobs somehow survive the results. You all know you didn't believe in this team.  I surely didn't. Why? It's not the players guys, it's the front office. You don't give you a reason to believe, because the whole thing isn't baseball anymore with the Yankees... it's numbers. The Yankees are no longer the fun franchise to watch. Let's be honest, 2009 was fun, but the magic left in the 90's. Hard-nosed teams, where managers managed and players that sucked DID NOT PLAY even though the piece of paper in front of the manager had projections.  Boone doesn't manage with his gut, he manages with what "could be" because the analytics told him so.  How's that worked out since Boone's been in charge. WHAT A LOSER.

Look, be a fan however you like. Take your kids. Wear the jersey. Enjoy an afternoon at the Stadium. That is your choice.

But aren’t you noticing a pattern?

Your loyalty is unconditional. Their accountability barely exists.

The Yankees front office doesn’t care about you the way you care about the Yankees. That is how I see it. They know you love the history, the uniform, the memories. They know walking away from the spending feels like walking away from something personal.

And they benefit every time you confuse those two things.

I haven’t paid for a ticket to that ballpark in four years. That decision was made long before this latest embarrassment. The Yankees have spent those four years reinforcing it.

My money can no longer go to a loser. I work too damn hard to finance the same failure while the people responsible keep getting another opportunity.

At some point, loyalty becomes permission.

Permission to keep Boone. Permission to keep Cashman. Permission to sell championship expectations without delivering championship accountability.

They’re counting on you being furious today and buying tickets tomorrow.

That’s the business model: sell the history, collect the money, explain the failure. Repeat.

The fans deserve better. But ownership has little reason to fear our anger when our spending keeps rewarding its decisions.

THE MOMENT THE SPENDING STOPS IS THE MOMENT THE PRESSURE BECOMES REAL.

Let Boone explain another collapse to empty seats. Let Cashman pitch another roster to fans who have stopped buying the sales job. Let ownership discover what disappointment looks like on a balance sheet.

We’ve paid enough.

Make the failures expensive for the people responsible for them.

F this manager and front office.  Happy winter. Let's go hunting.

A LOT OF BOONE IMPROVEMENT PROMISES, BUT ALL THESE YEARS LATER, NOTHING CHANGES

Yup, we don't forget.

Players have changed over the years, but one thing remains. Boone. And after the mistakes, he's not out there reprimanding them.  Just a lot of talk to the press about how things need to get better, but the players do not.

What the Yankees did against Tampa Bay on Monday was an embarrassment.

Four errors. A 5–2 loss. A 2–0 deficit in a best-of-five division series. A team supposedly built to compete for a championship suddenly standing one loss from elimination because it could not handle the basic responsibilities of playing baseball. Catch the ball. Make the throw. Understand the situation. Give your pitcher a chance. It's your job.

Apparently, those expectations are too demanding.

We here at Bleeding Yankee Blue has been hammering this organization about leadership, accountability and fundamentals for years. The other night supplied another miserable example of why. The names change. The opponent changes. The calendar changes. The Yankees keep finding familiar ways to sabotage themselves.

And Aaron Boone keeps finding something to say afterward.

That is the part I cannot stomach anymore. There is always an explanation. Always another assurance. Always a suggestion that the Yankees understand what went wrong and will address it. Then another important game arrives, and the same problems show up wearing freshly washed pinstripes.

How many times are we supposed to buy this?

Boone kept Ryan McMahon in the lineup partly because he wanted “to prioritize the defense.” McMahon then mishandled a routine grounder on the second pitch of the game. Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s attempted double-play throw went astray. Austin Wells added catcher’s interference. Three official errors in the first inning.

Prioritize the defense?

The Yankees could barely survive it. Those were the opening moments of a playoff game. This was the preparation they brought to a night when they desperately needed to even the series.

By the end, the defensive damage extended beyond the four errors in the box score. There were additional misplays, including mistakes involving Spencer Jones, George Lombard Jr. and Luis García Jr. Three unearned runs helped bury the Yankees.

Every one of those players has a responsibility to execute. Their mistakes belong to them. But the manager and his coaches have a responsibility to prepare a team that can perform under pressure. When these breakdowns keep resurfacing in important games, the people running that preparation deserve scrutiny.

Boone has had years to establish his standards. We are looking at the results. Cam Schlittler was left trying to navigate the mess around him. He departed after 4⅓ innings, charged with four runs, only two earned.

His outing was not flawless. He kept grinding. But his teammates made an already difficult assignment harder. Before making the pitching change in the fifth, Boone had watched his defense repeatedly compromise his starter.

I wanted to see Schlittler get a chance to work through that inning. Pulling him did nothing to repair the fielding behind him. George Lombard Jr.’s subsequent error extended the inning, and Richie Palacios delivered the two-run single that pushed Tampa Bay’s lead to 5–1.

Meanwhile, Ben Rice supplied two solo home runs. The rest of the lineup went a combined 2-for-28. Rice was trying to drag an entire offense across the finish line while the defense was busy digging a hole underneath it.

That is a hell of a way to approach October.

Afterward, Boone said:

“We’ve got to get over it.”

Of course they have to recover. There is another game to play.

But fans deserve something more substantial than the latest invitation to move past a disaster. We have been moving past these disasters for years. Eventually, somebody has to explain why the organization cannot stop producing them.

The history of these comments makes last night even harder to accept.

In 2022, Boone said of baserunning:

“It’s been a stronger point of emphasis from Day 1 of Spring Training.”

Good. It should be. But an emphasis has to become a habit. A habit has to survive a difficult game, a tight score and the pressure of October. Otherwise, the organization gets to announce its commitment every spring without ever being held responsible for whether that commitment lasts.

On July 5, 2024, after a loss to Boston, Boone said:

“We have to play clean baseball, especially when things are hard to come by. We’ve got to be better, period.”

I mean, no shit. Don't tell us, tell them! And while you're at it, make sure these players are doing what is needed! The context was maddening. Anthony Volpe failed to run hard enough from third to score before DJ LeMahieu was tagged at second. Because that final out was a tag rather than a force, getting home in time mattered. LeMahieu also could have prolonged the play with a rundown. The Yankees wasted an opportunity through poor execution and situational awareness.

Boone recognized the problem publicly. Recognizing it was the easy part. The harder responsibility was making that kind of baseball unacceptable—and producing a team that consistently demonstrated it understood why.

On July 8, 2024, CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa wrote:

“Simply put, they need to play cleaner baseball.”

Even the outside diagnosis had become familiar. There comes a point when “cleaner baseball” should stop appearing on the organization’s wish list and start describing the product on the field.

On February 14, 2025, Brian Cashman acknowledged the defensive problem:

“Defensively we were challenged in a lot of positions last year.”

He also said:

“I thought we were bad defensively.”

Cashman was discussing the offseason effort to improve run prevention after the 2024 World Series loss. He believed personnel changes would strengthen the defense and help the Yankees go further. That matters because this failure reaches above the manager. Cashman knew. The front office knew. The problem had been identified. Improving it was an organizational objective.

So nobody gets to act blindsided when fans demand answers about another October defensive collapse.

Then, in comments reported July 24, 2025, after another four-error game against Toronto, Boone said:

“Keep working at our fundamentals day in and day out and it will continue to get better.”

Read that again. Then think about last night.

The Yankees may conduct drills. Coaches may review video. Conversations may happen behind closed doors. We do not need to invent what happens inside the clubhouse to judge the effectiveness of the work.

The recurring failures are visible.

Whatever instruction and accountability exist have not produced a standard reliable enough to prevent another postseason embarrassment. That is the failure Boone and the front office have to answer for.

And I am tired of hearing their intentions presented as evidence of success. The same week as that Toronto debacle, Aaron Judge said:

“Going into this off day, we’ve got to refocus and tighten it up on defense.”

The captain could see it, too. At some point, all this tightening is supposed to hold. Instead, the Yankees keep arriving at the biggest moments with parts falling off.

Bleeding Yankee Blue was calling for change long before this latest disaster. On November 5, 2024, our senior managing editor, Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa, argued that the Yankees needed to move on from Boone and establish accountability after the World Series. Her criticism specifically addressed the team’s baserunning, fundamentals and leadership.

On July 24, 2025, BYB returned to the same issue in HOUSE OF HORRORS & LOSERS Jeana described recurring fundamental failures and challenged the protection Boone and the front office continued to receive.

The record is there.

I have been ahead of the curve on this argument, and BYB has kept making it when plenty of people preferred to dismiss the criticism as excessive. We were watching the habits. We were watching the excuses accumulate. We were asking why an organization with these resources continued to tolerate such unreliable execution.

Now, for those finally opening their eyes: welcome.

And shame on everyone who waved away the warning signs and treated concerned fans as the problem. You do not have to agree with every lineup criticism or bullpen complaint to recognize that repeated failures deserve more than another defense of the manager.

Being demanding about the Yankees is part of caring about the Yankees.

I care enough to say this plainly: Aaron Boone should be fired.

His public assurances have lost their credibility with me. A manager cannot keep promising improvement while his team repeatedly demonstrates the same vulnerabilities under pressure and expect unlimited patience...FOR YEARS.

The players need consequences for repeated lapses. Those consequences should be deliberate and consistent: corrective work, changes in roles, and playing time earned through execution. A respected veteran should face the same expectations as a rookie. Talent should come with responsibility.

Boone also needs to be judged by that standard. So do his coaches. So does Cashman.

A replacement manager will need authority to enforce expectations. The front office needs new decision-makers who will challenge unsuccessful practices and judge the organization by what it delivers. Hal Steinbrenner has to demand that change instead of signing off on another round of reassuring explanations.

The Yankees of the late 1990s, carrying into 2000, won four championships in five seasons under Joe Torre.

That is the seriousness this franchise should be trying to recover, but with a clown like Boone... forget it.

It requires preparation, trust, execution and the willingness to confront failure. Players can feel supported while being held responsible. A manager can remain composed while insisting on standards. Torre’s success should remind the Yankees that leadership is measured by the team it produces.

Last night, Tampa Bay kept putting pressure on New York. The Yankees kept giving that pressure somewhere to go.

Boone cannot throw away this game, retrieve another familiar phrase and expect the discussion to end. The discussion should reach his office, Cashman’s office and ownership.

I have no faith that the Yankees will win a World Series under this leadership. They have given me years of reasons to reach that conclusion. Another October collapse only strengthens it.

Fire Boone. Bring new leadership into the front office. Give the next manager the authority and responsibility to make disciplined baseball a daily requirement.

And hold everyone to it! 

The Yankees have supplied enough statements about getting better. Their fans have earned the right to demand that they actually do it. The time is now, I am fed up.

SHOULD YANKEE FANS PANIC YET?

The Yankees had this game. Then, almost on cue, they gave it away.

New York jumped out to a 4-1 lead after Heliot Ramos, George Lombard Jr. and Spencer Jones all homered in the third inning. The kids supplied the power, the Yankees grabbed control—and then everything collapsed.

Arizona scored seven unanswered runs, with Nolan Arenado delivering the crushing blow: a fifth-inning grand slam off Brent Headrick that turned a three-run Yankees lead into another ugly loss. The Diamondbacks won 8-4 and took the series. Once Arenado’s ball landed in the seats, the Yankees never answered. Five Arizona relievers shut them out over the final 6 1/3 innings. 

So, do we panic yet?

Maybe “panic” is too dramatic, but concern is absolutely justified. This is no longer about one bad inning in Arizona. The Yankees are now six games behind Tampa Bay with only seven remaining, and their shot at the American League East is barely breathing. They will almost certainly enter October through the Wild Card door—assuming they don’t stumble even further.

And that brings us back to Aaron Boone.

Boone has won plenty of regular-season games. His defenders will always point to the record, the playoff appearances and the consistency. But managing the Yankees isn’t about piling up victories from April through August. It’s about executing when the pressure arrives.

Boone has repeatedly shown that when a game tightens, his decision-making does too. Sunday was another example. The Yankees had a lead, the inning was slipping away, and Boone entrusted the game to an overworked Headrick, making his 79th appearance. By the time Boone reacted, Arenado had already put Arizona ahead for good.

That is Boone’s greatest weakness, and it will always make him a poor manager in my eyes—regardless of how many regular-season wins appear next to his name. The postseason exposes hesitation, questionable bullpen choices and managers who fail to feel the moment. We have watched that movie before.

The Yankees now head into a four-game series against Tampa Bay. Boone says they need to “kick their butt.” That sounds wonderful. But this team doesn’t need another Boone slogan. It needs urgency, clean execution and a manager capable of staying ahead of the game instead of reacting after it has already been lost.

Should Yankee fans panic?

Not yet. But if this is how Boone and the Yankees plan to handle October pressure, we already know how the story ends.

The dude can't close. Yes, we clinched a playoff spot, but that means nothing if we can't win it all.  The dude's not George Patton... he not even close.

LOOK WHO SHOWED UP? YANKS SWEEP ROCKIES

Anthony Volpe finally did something to help the New York Yankees win a baseball game.

There. I said it.

In his return from Triple-A, Volpe went 3-for-4, drove in five runs and launched a grand slam as the Yankees beat Colorado 10-3 and completed the sweep. It was a hell of a game. Give him credit. He showed up when his number was called.

But everybody relax. I'm still not buying Anthony Volpe. 

First off, there were other Yankees who deserve some attention from last night. Luis García Jr. launched his 30th homer of the season, a two-run shot that got things started. Spencer Jones delivered a huge two-run single in the seventh. Cody Bellinger drove in a run, and Max Fried struck out seven while allowing just one run, although it took him 80 pitches to get through 3.1 innings. The bullpen did enough from there.

That's called a team win.

We aren't asking Volpe to be Derek Jeter. We're not asking him to be a superstar. We're asking him to become something resembling the player Yankee scouts told us he was going to be. That's it. Like Jesus, bat .280 on the year.

We've spent years hearing about the talent, the upside and the potential. Meanwhile, we've watched the inconsistency. So, one huge night against a Colorado team that has lost 100 games doesn't suddenly erase everything we've already seen. I'm a realist.

Was Volpe's adrenaline pumping after getting recalled? Absolutely. Did he look energized? Sure. Did he have a great game? Damn right.

But we've seen this movie before. A big game. A little hope. Everyone starts screaming that Volpe has "figured it out." Then comes another stretch where we're wondering what happened.

So, spare me the redemption tour after one night. I've been fooled for 3 years with this guy.

Am I happy for Volpe? No. I'm happy the Yankees won.

Volpe did his job, exactly what he was supposed to do. That's what I'm happy about. There is way too much emphasis placed on the fact that Anthony Volpe did it instead of what actually matters: the Yankees need to win this division.

So that's the story. This isn't about rebuilding Anthony Volpe's confidence or proving the Yankees were right about him. September isn't about protecting prospects, organizational pride or winning arguments.

It's about winning baseball games. Volpe helped them do that last night. Good. Do it again.

And again. Because one grand slam doesn't change my opinion of Anthony Volpe. But helping the Yankees get to first place might.

That's the standard now.

Win the damn division.

LOMBARD GOES GRAND. VOLPE GETS ANOTHER LIFE

George Lombard Jr. gave Yankee fans the moment of the night.

With Spencer Jones working a two-out walk to help load the bases, Lombard stepped up and crushed an opposite-field grand slam — the first of his career and the Yankees’ first grand slam of the season.

The kid continues to impress.

Jones deserves credit, too. Two walks, patience at the plate and another contribution from a young player who looks like he belongs.

And Will Warren? Six strong innings, one run and eight strikeouts. Exactly what the Yankees needed.

Then came the news that made me roll my eyes.

Anthony Volpe is coming back.

With Jazz Chisholm Jr. suffering a thumb sprain, Volpe will rejoin the major league roster Thursday. And apparently we're going to force this experiment into second base now?

Why?

José Caballero is already here. He can play second. Let him.

I simply don't care about the Anthony Volpe experiment anymore. He had his opportunity. It was a long time. The Yankees finally sent him to Triple-A, Lombard took over at shortstop, and the kid has brought energy and excitement.

Why are we still trying to manufacture opportunities for Volpe?

At some point, stop trying to prove you're right about a player and just play the guys who give you the best chance to win.

This is the kind of organizational nonsense that makes it hard for me to root for this team sometimes.

Lombard is giving you something special. Don't screw it up.

YANKEES WAKE UP LATE TO LOSE THE SERIES

If Gerrit Cole was looking to set the tone Sunday, he certainly did. Unfortunately, it was the wrong one.

Cole opened the game by serving up back-to-back-to-back home runs to Fernando Tatis Jr., Jake Cronenworth and Manny Machado. Three batters. Three bombs. Welcome to the ballgame.

To Cole's credit, he settled down and gave the Yankees seven innings, but when you're chasing the game from the opening minutes, you're playing with fire.

The Yankees eventually woke up. Spencer Jones ripped an RBI double in the eighth, and Amed Rosario helped turn some Padres sloppiness into two more runs. Suddenly, it was 4-3 and the Yankees had a pulse.

George Lombard Jr. doubled, too, and once again the kids showed some fight. That's encouraging.

But encouraging doesn't win divisions.

The Yankees lost 4-3, dropped two of three in San Diego and now head home four games behind Tampa Bay.

September is here. The excuses are gone.

Time to stop chasing games and start winning them.

YANKEES PUNCH BACK IN SAN DIEGO

Every once in a while, the Yankees play a game that doesn't require blood-pressure medication.

Saturday was one of them.

The Yankees bounced back from Friday's brutal extra-inning loss and handled the Padres, 5-1, at Petco Park, evening the series and setting up a pretty important Sunday rubber match.

The fun started in the second inning when Spencer Jones — playing near where he grew up — ripped an RBI double into the right-field corner to get the Yankees rolling. And I continue to like what I'm seeing from this kid.

Then San Diego starter Robbie Ray temporarily forgot that throwing strikes is generally part of the job. The Yankees actually did something we've begged them to do for years: they stayed patient.

Walks piled up, Paul Goldschmidt drew a bases-loaded free pass, and Cody Bellinger eventually made Ray pay with a two-run single. Just like that, it was 4-0. George Lombard Jr. added a sacrifice fly in the third and the Yankees had five runs without hitting a home run.

Imagine that. Actual baseball.

Ben Rice was terrific, going 3-for-3 with two walks and reaching base all five times. That's called being a pain in the ass, and every good lineup needs one.

Carlos Rodón took care of the rest. He gave the Yankees five innings, struck out seven and allowed only two hits and one run — a Manny Machado solo homer. The bullpen slammed the door from there as San Diego managed just three hits all night.

So now it's simple.

The Yankees took the punch Friday night, got off the mat Saturday and punched back.

Now win the damn series.

NEVER ROOT FOR AN INJURY… BUT SOMETIMES YOU THINK IT

You never want to see a player get hurt. Ever. Let me get that out of the way before somebody comes after me with a pitchfork.

Trent Grisham is headed to the 10-day IL with a right hamstring strain, and the Yankees have recalled Jasson Dominguez from Triple-A.

That's bad news for Grisham.

But for the Yankees?

Forgive me... maybe not.

Because suddenly Aaron Boone doesn't have to perform advanced calculus trying to figure out how to squeeze everyone into the outfield. Spencer Jones has been earning his playing time, and with Grisham down, Jones should get a legitimate opportunity in center. Meanwhile, Dominguez is back, and perhaps—crazy concept here—the Yankees can actually find out what these young guys can do by playing them.

Jones has already shown flashes that scream, Don't send me anywhere. And Dominguez? I've been waiting forever for the Yankees to stop treating "The Martian" like he's classified government property.

Grisham hadn't exactly been forcing the issue lately, either. He was just 4-for-44 over his previous 14 games before landing on the IL.

So no, I'm not celebrating an injury. I hope Grisham heals quickly.

But baseball has a funny way of making decisions for organizations that refuse to make them themselves.

The Yankees have young outfielders who need at-bats. Spencer Jones needs to play. Jasson Dominguez deserves another look.

Now they have their chance.

Sometimes opportunity knocks.

Sometimes it grabs its hamstring.

Forgive me.

THE YANKEES WASTE MAX FRIED'S START

The Yankees wasted one Friday night. And in September, those are the ones that hurt.

Max Fried gave them 5 2/3 innings of one-run baseball. Ben Rice launched a 444-foot homer. Then Spencer Jones delivered the big moment, ripping a go-ahead RBI single off Mason Miller in the 10th. The kid stared down one of baseball's nastiest relievers and delivered.

And the Yankees still lost, 3-2.

Paul Blackburn surrendered a two-run walk-off homer to Luis Campusano in the bottom of the 10th, wasting Fried's performance and Jones' heroics. Worse, Tampa Bay won, pushing the Yankees four games back in the AL East.

This is September. These games matter.

And this is where Aaron Boone continues to worry me. Managing isn't just keeping everybody happy for 162 games. When the pressure rises, somebody has to push the right buttons. Boone has had years to prove he's that guy.

I'm still waiting.

Fried deserved better. Jones deserved better.

October won't care about excuses.

SPENCER JONES IS STARTING TO LOOK LIKE A YANKEE

Well, look at that. The Yankees remembered they're the Yankees.

Twenty-four hours after getting their doors blown off by the Angels, New York showed up Tuesday night, collected 14 hits and walked away with a 7-3 win. Gerrit Cole battled, Jazz Chisholm Jr. homered, Cody Bellinger had three hits and the bullpen shut the door.

But let's get to the good stuff.

Spencer freaking Jones. I love this.

Jones went 2-for-3 with a homer, three RBIs, two walks, two runs and a stolen base. The home run was his second in two nights.

Remember when the conversation was whether this gigantic human being could actually make enough contact in the majors? Yeah. About that. Jones isn't just showing up anymore. He's starting to look comfortable. There's a swagger developing. There's patience. There's power. And when this dude connects, baseballs start reconsidering their career choices.

Best of all, he's becoming a problem for opposing pitchers instead of a Yankee “project” we're told to patiently wait six years for.

That's refreshing. Jones launched a two-run bomb in the first, Jazz followed immediately with another homer, and suddenly Gerrit Cole was handed a 3-0 lead before he even threw a pitch. Later, when the Yankees needed another run in the ninth, Jones knocked that one in too.

That's what I want from the kids. Don't tell me about exit velocity projections for 2028.

Show me.

Spencer Jones is showing us. He's not a finished product. He's going to strike out. He's going to make mistakes. There will be nights when he looks lost.

Who cares? Because we're finally watching a young Yankee come into his own right in front of us, and I'm enjoying every damn second of it.

The Yankees won 7-3. Spencer Jones keeps growing. Play the kid. Get out of his way. 

And enjoy the ride.

STOP BLAMING CABALLERO. THE YANKEES COULDN’T SCORE

I’m seeing a lot of attention being thrown at Jose Caballero after the Yankees got embarrassed by the Angels Monday night.

Yes, Caballero made an error. Yes, it was ugly. But can we please tell the whole story?

When Caballero botched the potential double-play ball in the sixth inning, the Yankees were already losing 6-1. His mistake allowed another run to score and made it 7-1.

So, explain something to me. How exactly did Jose Caballero lose this game? Were the Yankees suddenly going to score six runs if he fielded that ball cleanly?

Because they didn't. They scored one run the entire night.

One.

Spencer Jones hit a solo homer in the fifth inning. That was it. The Yankees finished with six hits, didn't draw a walk and went quietly against Angels rookie Walbert Ureña, who gave them seven innings of one-run baseball.

And let's remember what happened before Caballero's sixth-inning error.

Elmer Rodríguez had already put the Yankees in a 4-0 hole. The Angels made it 5-1 in the fifth. Then Michael Fulmer's errant pickoff attempt helped another run score.

It was 6-1 before Caballero made the error everybody wants to talk about.

That's context. Caballero deserves criticism for playing sloppy defense. Absolutely. He'd probably tell you the same thing. But blaming him for a 10-1 loss is ridiculous.

The Yankees didn't lose because their shortstop booted a ball while they were already getting blown out.

They lost because they couldn't hit. They couldn't score. And they couldn't give themselves even the slightest chance to win.

You don't beat anybody scoring one run.

Stop looking for a convenient scapegoat. Jose Caballero didn't lose this game. The Yankees offense did. Get over it.

RICE, RICE BABY! YANKS KEEP ROLLING!

What a difference a day makes.

After getting embarrassed by Toronto pitching on Saturday, the Yankees came back Sunday and actually looked like a team with some attitude, beating the Blue Jays 8-3 and taking another important step forward.

Ben Rice continues to impress me. With the bases loaded in the sixth and the Yankees needing a big hit, Rice battled through a full count and ripped a two-run single to right. No panic. No trying to hit a six-run homer. Just a professional at-bat from a kid who keeps showing he belongs in the middle of this lineup.

And how about Jazz Chisholm Jr.? He helped manufacture the rally with a bunt single and then decided subtlety was overrated, launching a two-run homer an inning later. That's Jazz — energy, swagger and the ability to change a game in about five minutes.

Spencer Jones chipped in with an RBI double and a terrific diving catch, Trent Grisham reached base for the go-ahead run and later homered, and suddenly the Yankees had themselves an 8-3 win.

That's six wins in seven games, folks.

There are still things to clean up, but right now? I'm enjoying this. The Yankees are playing with some life, the kids are contributing, Jazz is bringing the juice and Ben Rice just keeps looking better.

Keep winning. Keep pushing. This is getting fun.

LOOK WHO'S CREEPING UP THE AL EAST!

This is getting interesting.

The Yankees beat Toronto 3-1, have now won nine of their last 13, and suddenly they're just three games out of first place in the AL East. Yes, these Yankees. Go figure.

Spencer Jones stayed hot, launching his seventh homer and going deep for the second straight game. Toronto even challenged it after Jones admired his work for a moment. Nice try. Still gone.

Cam Schlittler wasn't exactly cruising, but he battled through traffic and made pitches when he needed them. José Caballero added a sacrifice fly, Brent Headrick escaped a late jam and David Bednar finished it off for save No. 30.

But forget the individual numbers for a second. The Yankees are simply playing good baseball right now — and they're gaining ground.

That's what makes this 10-game homestand so important. They're home, they're hot and first place is suddenly sitting right there within reach. This is the major opportunity. Let's hope Boone doesn't mess this up.

Don't just make the AL East race interesting. Go take the damn thing.

THE YANKEES ARE COOKING!

Well, would you look at that.

The Yankees went into Baltimore and actually handled their business, beating the Orioles 6-1, finishing off the sweep and extending their winning streak to four games. No drama. No bullpen circus. Just a good, clean Yankee win.

Gerrit Cole led the way, and when your ace pitches like an ace, baseball suddenly becomes a lot easier. Cole gave the Yankees six strong innings, allowing one run while striking out eight. He also passed Roger Clemens on the Yankees' all-time strikeout list. Not bad company.

But maybe the best part was that the offense wasn't simply waiting around for Aaron Judge to save everybody.

Luis García Jr. had three hits and blasted his 25th homer. Spencer Jones had three hits and a homer of his own. Heliot Ramos picked up his first RBI as a Yankee, while Ben Rice, José Caballero and Jazz Chisholm Jr. all chipped in. Alittle long ball, alittle small ball. Imagine that—a lineup where everybody participates. What a concept.

And then Ryan Yarbrough came in and slammed the door with three perfect innings. Nine hitters up. Nine hitters down. Thank you very much. Drive safely.

We've beaten this team up plenty when they've deserved it, so they deserve credit when they play like this.

Four straight wins. A sweep. Cole dealing. New Yankees contributing. Young guys producing.

This is what we've been waiting for.

Now don't get cute.

Keep winning.

DAVID CONE JUST EXPOSED THE YANKEES’ BIGGEST PROBLEM

There comes a point when “trust the process” becomes an excuse for not having a solution. David Cone appears to have reached that point with the Yankees.

During Saturday’s miserable 4-1 loss to Toronto, Cone pushed back on the philosophy we’ve heard repeatedly around this team: keep hitting the ball hard, keep putting together good at-bats, and eventually those hard-hit balls will start falling.

Cone’s point was simple: That’s not enough anymore. Thank you, Coney.

The Yankees aren't playing for exit velocity points. Nobody gets half a run because Statcast liked the contact. You have to actually score. And these Yankees simply don't.

Since Aaron Judge went down, the Yankees have averaged only 3.3 runs per game and scored just three runs over their last 27 innings. Saturday they managed four hits — all singles — against seven Toronto pitchers. Their only run came when Spencer Jones singled and George Lombard Jr. eventually knocked him home.

One run. That was it.

And this isn't a cute little slump anymore. The Yankees have been one of baseball's worst offenses since Judge went down. That's why Cone's criticism matters. When Plan A isn't working, your manager's job is to find Plan B.

Move runners. Change the lineup. Manufacture something. Create pressure. Demand better at-bats. Get angry. DO SOMETHING.

Instead, Aaron Boone gives us the same corporate Yankee word salad. Good swings. Good process. Hard contact. Eventually they'll fall.

When, Aaron? November?

This is exactly why I don't believe Boone is the right manager when things get difficult. When Judge is launching baseballs and the Yankees are scoring six runs, Boone looks fine. But when the offense disappears and the players start pressing, he doesn't seem capable of changing the temperature of that clubhouse.

Boone doesn't motivate. He waits.

And then there's Michael Kay. I like Michael, but enough already with explaining why things aren't quite as bad as Yankee fans think they are. We have eyes. We see the scoreboard. At some point, defending the process starts sounding less like analysis and more like selling the company line.

Cone didn't do that. He challenged the philosophy itself.

The Yankees don't need somebody telling them their hard-hit percentage suggests better days are coming. They need runs. They need urgency. They need somebody in that dugout who understands that August baseball doesn't care about expected statistics.

This pitching staff continues giving the Yankees opportunities to win, and the offense continues wasting them. That's not bad luck anymore.

That's Brian Cashman's roster. That's Aaron Boone's clubhouse. That's the Yankees' philosophy.

David Cone finally poked a hole in the analytics balloon. Stop telling us how hard they're hitting the baseball and start explaining why nobody can get a runner home.

Because right now, I don't see a manager solving the problem.

I see Aaron Boone waiting for the problem to solve itself.

And that may be the biggest problem of all.

CASHMAN BUILT IT. BOONE CAN’T FIX IT.

The Yankees lost to Toronto 4-1 Saturday. Four hits. One run. Two runs over their last 27 innings. Read that again.

This isn't a slump anymore. This is an offense with a missing-person report. And even the one run deserves some context. Spencer Jones led off the second with a single, stole second, and George Lombard Jr. brought him home with an RBI single to left.

There it was. 1-0 Yankees.

Enjoy it. That was the entire offensive highlight reel.

Cam Schlittler gave them 5 1/3 innings of one-run baseball and struck out seven. Once again, Yankee pitching kept them alive while the offense showed up carrying pool noodles instead of bats. How many games are these pitchers supposed to win 1-0?

And then there's Aaron Boone. What exactly is he managing? Where are the adjustments? Where's the urgency? This offense keeps disappearing and Boone keeps showing up afterward with another explanation.

Enough. You're the manager. Manage. But this goes higher. Brian Cashman made his deadline moves, shuffled the furniture and supposedly improved the Yankees. So I'll ask the obvious question:

Did Brian Cashman actually make this team better? Because it sure as hell doesn't feel like it.

Toronto used seven pitchers Saturday. Seven. The Yankees countered with four singles and one lousy run. That's embarrassing. This is August. The Yankees aren't supposed to be "figuring it out." They're supposed to be gearing up for October.

Instead, we're wondering where the next run is coming from. That's why Yankee fans should be entering panic mode.

Blue Jays 4. Yankees 1.

Cashman built it. Boone manages it. And right now, this thing looks broken.

SOX ON FIRE, YANKEES ON EDGE!

Almost 4 months ago, the Boston Red Sox fired Alex Cora and it looked like Boston was done for. All of Yankee land was laughing as we enjoyed looking down at Boston all the way at the bottom of the AL East. They were deflated, we were in first place and that what we want to see. 

My how times have changed. Since then, the Yankees have lost heavy hitters in Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger. Add in pitcher Carlos Rodon and it is doomsday. The Yankees have been trying to tread water and the Red Sox literally lit a fire underneath everyone and went on winning streaks of 26-3 and 32-5 while the Yankees continue to stagger and stumble. Now the Yankees are literally feeling the Red Sox breathe down the necks. Suddenly a slip to third is very possible.

And I sit here and hate it all while being in amazement of George Lombard Jr and be pleasantly surprised at times by Spencer Jones. Those bright moments have come too late though because we are now as uncomfortable as it gets. What was once a 15 game lead over the Red Sox is now down to a game and a half.

I always say never underestimate the Red Sox. You never count them out....ever. They just reminded us of this. Months ago it looked like a minimum of a first Wild Card spot was likely. The American League is curiously weak compared to the National League. If the Yankees couldn't catch the Rays, we would at least have the first Wild Card spot. But....that the reality is, that might not be what happens here.

Not unless the Yankees start playing like their hair and asses are on fire! Rodon should be back soon, and Judge is progressing. Hopefully we also have Bellinger back by the time we see Boston again but that's not a guarantee. No doubt our injuries have hurt us, and we are missing our star power but both teams feed off of their starting pitching. The Red Sox have still found a way to win with a lineup that is not exactly loaded with big names or contracts.

The difference between these two teams is heart. The Yankees have shown we have that recently, but we need more of it to get us to the finish line. This is going to be a dog fight to the very end, and it's not going to be easy. 

Just in case you need a reminder.....NEVER underestimate the Red Sox.....EVER!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj