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The New York Yankees entered the second half of the 2025 season looking to bounce back from a tough stretch, but their 7-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Friday night raised more questions than answers, especially after Jorbit Vivas’ base-running mistake went viral.
In the top of the third inning, Vivas was thrown out at third base after a flyout to Ronald Acuna Jr., ending the inning and killing momentum. Vivas slowed as he approached the base and failed to slide, ignoring signs from the third base coach. Deception by the Braves’ Nacho Alvarez Jr. played a role, but the Yankees third baseman took full responsibility postgame.
In an article published by Gary Phillips of the NY Daily News, the beat writer spoke with the Yankees manager to get clarity on what led to Vivas staying in the game after his now-viral base-running blunder. The third baseman's decision to slow up and not slide into third drew criticism, but Boone offered a nuanced explanation of what happened—and why he didn’t immediately pull him after the mistake.
“I bench guys when they don’t run hard,” the manager said, acknowledging that hasn’t always been enforced consistently.
“Can’t happen. Just can’t happen. That said, I did that all my career at third base, where you kind of play dumb, like dead. [Vivas] read the body. Obviously, he knew it was a deep flyball, so I think it caught him up, but Luis is telling him to kind of get down, and then at the end, just trying to hold the bag. And Vivas heard him, too. But the body language of Alvarez there just deeked him, but it’s not something that can happen.”
The loss to the Braves was New York’s fourth in a row and dropped their record to 53-45. They now trail the AL East–leading Toronto Blue Jays by four games and sit just a half-game above the Boston Red Sox.
The loss also highlights a deeper issue as the Yankees rank 24th in MLB in base-running (BsR), a slight improvement from last year’s league-worst finish but still a clear liability.
Beyond the miscue, the Yankees' pitching problems continued. Ian Hamilton gave up a leadoff single to Jurickson Profar, then allowed RBI doubles to Matt Olson and Ronald Acuna Jr., putting the Bronx Bombers in a 2-0 hole before recording an out. A sacrifice fly by Ozzie Albies then made it 3-0 before the reliever completed his only inning of work.
Relegated mostly to low-leverage spots after early-season struggles, Hamilton’s shaky outing set the tone. Rico Garcia later surrendered a three-run bomb to Albies in the third. Despite a strong 30-19 home record keeping their playoff outlook intact, a 4-6 skid over the last 10 games has allowed division rivals to close the gap.
The Pinstripes still boast one of the most athletic rosters in the league, but miscues like Vivas’ can't become the norm. Boone’s message was clear—even if he didn’t make an in-game statement, the pressure to execute has never been higher in the Bronx.
