The New York Yankees were supposed to be competing toe to toe for a place in the AL Championship Series. Yet here they are, back home in the Bronx, bruised and bewildered, staring at a 0-2 hole in the ALDS. For all their regular-season heroics, the Yankees have been betrayed—by their bullpen, by their bats, and by their biggest names when it mattered most.
Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Max Fried—the core of a star-studded roster—have all faltered under the October lights. Fried’s Game 2 meltdown, allowing seven runs on Sunday, felt like the latest gut punch in a series that’s spun out of control faster than anyone could’ve imagined.
And yet, the Yankees are still standing. Barely, but standing.
A Familiar Fight for Survival
If there’s one thing this team has proven, it’s that the