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They say there is something about the pinstripes. Well, that seems especially true this year, but not necessarily for the reasons the team and fan base want. Although the New York Yankees (69-57) are currently riding a five-game winning streak and in sole possession of the first American League Wild Card slot, concerns continue to fester regarding the Yanks' fielding deficiencies. They reared their ugly head in Thursday's big clash with the Boston Red Sox (68-59).
Fundamental soundness left Yankee Stadium in the top of the second inning, as the team committed an eye-gouging three errors. AL Rookie of the Year and right-handed pitcher Luis Gil started off the series of mishaps, second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. sailed the ball far above first baseman's Paul Goldschmidt's head on a double play attempt and a run scored when catcher Ben Rice made a woefully inaccurate throw to Chisholm while trying to catch David Hamilton stealing.
Yikes. New York entered the game with the ninth-most errors this season and now has 73. When a team makes headlines for playing poor defense within the diamond in a game featuring the Red Sox (AL-worst 97 errors), then there is a problem. Though, whether anyone wants to admit it or not, making costly blunders has become a part of this squad's identity. Fans aired their frustrations following the blooper reel.
The Yankees third error of the inning leads to the first run of the night for the Red Sox
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/YTt6Elxjq2
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) August 21, 2025
Tempers are flaring among the Yankees' fandom
Yankees YouTube personality JoezMcFly unleashed an NSFW rant effectively expressing the exasperation he and so many people feel right now. “Now, I got to know what the f**k is going on,” he exclaimed. “Why does this team always forget how to play baseball as soon as they face this Red Sox team? Any time there's a prime-time game, they start acting stupid, bro!”
“The Yankees are on pace for 57 errors this game,” @statfax posted on X at the time. “It would be an MLB record.” “Yankees got a squad !!” @Gxdubya sarcastically commented.
Fortunately, the Yankees helped mitigate the damage by embracing the other major component of their identity. Rice redeemed his error with a 419-foot solo home run in the bottom of the second to tie the score, adding to the team's MLB-leading HR total (currently at 210). New York must continue to mash opposing pitchers if it is going to win its second straight pennant.
Though, as last year's World Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers showed, a championship is unlikely unless this group definitively shakes its bad fielding habits. With Aaron Judge still working his way back to the outfield, there is little room for error. The Yankees' folly-filled Game 5 collapse versus LA — Judge dropped a routine fly ball, Gerrit Cole inexplicably failed to cover first base and Anthony Volpe made a throwing error — should be burned into this organization's brain.
Clearly, though, there are still glaring issues to work out before another championship chase begins in October. All fans can do is monitor their blood pressure and hope this second-inning debacle is the long-awaited wake-up call New York desperately needs.
