The New York Yankees returned from the All-Star Break aiming to kick off the second half of the season with a win, but things didn’t go as planned, as they were trounced 7-3 by the Braves on the road. During the game, an error sparked sharp criticism from Joe Girardi and Michael Kay.
The criticism centered on Jorbit Vivasthird base out. “That can’t happen. Those are little things that cost you a chance to have Aaron Judge hit with first and third,” was clearly heard during the YES Network broadcast.
Vivas noticeably slowed down before reaching third base. “First of all, you’re not running hard to third, then you don’t slide. As you said, perfect word, inexcusable,” the commentators noted. It was thanks to Ronald Acuña Jr.’s powerful arm that the Braves secured a key out against the Yankees.
Early Game Error
The broadcasters emphasized that this early error not only cost Judge a chance to bat, “you just took the bat out of Aaron Judge’s hands,” but for a young player like Vivas, such mistakes shouldn’t happen in the second half for the Yankees.
“He’s a young player… I believe as a young player, I made mistakes, just like he [Vivas] did. But these are important games before you go to Toronto, you can’t just look like that before going to Toronto, they’ve got to win these games.”
Yankees vs. Braves
In their last 10 MLB games, the Yankees have won just three against the Braves, with two victories in 2022 and one last season. The Braves currently hold a modest two-game winning streak against the Yankees, with their most recent series at Yankee Stadium last year ending in a 2-1 Atlanta victory.
see also
Baseball’s ultimate feuds: The MLB rivalries that became part of the game’s legacy
