Yankees News: Juan Soto laments missed opportunities to capitalize on Kutter Crawford’s ‘mistakes’ in loss to Red Sox

In yesterday’s post-match interview, a sombre Juan Soto echoed the sentiment of a frustrated New York Yankees fan base, highlighting missed opportunities as the crux of their 5-3 extra-inning loss to the surging Boston Red Sox. “He actually made a couple of mistakes.” Soto lamented, referring to the pitching of Boston starter Kutter Crawford. Soto himself, despite drawing a walk and reaching base, was unable to convert his opportunities into runs, a microcosm of the team’s broader offensive struggles.

Despite a solid performance from starter Nestor Cortes, who allowed just one run and three hits in six innings, the offense struggled. The early exit of Gleyber Torres due to a groin injury, amplified by others like Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo already on the injured list, further hampered their offensive production. Their offensive struggles, coupled with defensive missteps and a faltering bullpen, have painted a bleak picture for the Bronx Bombers, as reflected by Juan Soto the same.

However, it was the bullpen’s collapse that sealed their fate. The typically reliable Clay Holmes faltered in the ninth inning, allowing a game-tying, two-run homer to Masataka Yoshida. Tommy Kahnle did the same in the 10th inning, allowing Ceddanne Rafaela to hit the decisive two-run homer.

The Red Sox, on a roll with their fifth straight win, showed their resilience and rallied from a 3-0 deficit to secure their second straight extra-inning win. This marks their third straight win over the Yankees, a stark contrast to the The Bronx Bombers’ downward spiral four-game losing streak and a dismal 4-14 record since their June 14 win in Boston.

Juan Soto’s optimism amid adversity and team’s offensive decline could pave the way for the Yankees

Soto’s frustration was evident as he recounted specific missed opportunities against Crawford, who scored a “A couple of mistakes at the plate. We couldn’t take advantage of them.” Those missed opportunities proved costly as the Bombers’ offensive woes deepened and they only managed a fourth-inning burst against Boston’s Tanner Houck and Bailey Horn.

As the Yankees’ bats fell silent, Romy Gonzalez sparked the BoSox, contributing two of the three hits off Cortes and hitting his first home run with the team. Cortes’ eight-strikeout performance, highlighted by a nod from Juan Soto, was ultimately overshadowed by the bullpen’s late-inning collapse.

Justin Turner’s absence from the lineup due to a heel bruise has further exacerbated the Yankees’ offensive struggles. The team now faces a daunting challenge, searching for solutions amid a growing injury list and a losing streak that has tested its resilience.

“It’s hard,” Juan Soto admitted, reflecting on the team’s recent struggles. “It’s never fun this way, but we all know what baseball is. It’s part of the game.” Despite the adversity, Soto remained optimistic and stressed the importance of perseverance. “We have to keep playing good baseball. I thought our starter threw the ball very well today. We just have to score a couple of runs off him.”