Red Sox out-slug Yankees 11-7 on June 9, 2025, despite two homers from Aaron Judge. Carlos Rodón takes his first loss as bullpen issues loom large.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was a classic slugfest at the Stadium on Monday, but unfortunately, the Yankees ended up on the wrong side of the home run barrage. In a game that saw seven balls leave the yard, the Boston Red Sox out-slugged the Bombers 11-7 to take the series, putting a damper on an otherwise strong stretch of baseball and raising serious questions about the state of the bullpen.
Boston piled on, scoring 27 runs over the three-game series at Yankee Stadium.
The game was a back-and-forth affair early on. Aaron Judge continued his torrid pace, launching two more homers, and DJ LeMahieu briefly gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead with a solo shot in the fifth. But the lead was short-lived. Carlos Rodón, who had been nearly untouchable, finally showed he was human, taking his first loss since April 13 after allowing five runs. The Red Sox lineup was relentless, blasting five home runs of their own to keep the pressure on all afternoon.
A major concern coming out of this series is the performance of the bullpen, and Jonathan Loáisiga is unfortunately at the center of it. The hard-throwing righty struggled again, serving up another home run in his appearance. This marks his fourth homer allowed in just nine appearances since returning from elbow surgery. What was supposed to be a major reinforcement for the back end of the bullpen has quickly become a point of vulnerability the team needs to solve.
Despite the tough loss dropping their record to 39-25, the Yankees remain in a strong position in the AL East. The focus now shifts to a road trip, starting with a three-game set against the Royals in Kansas City. In a bit of good news, the team announced that ace Max Fried (8-1, 1.78 ERA) will get an extra day of rest and take the ball in Tuesday's opener. He'll face off against impressive Royals rookie Noah Cameron, giving the Yanks a clear advantage as they look to immediately bounce back.
Losing a series to Boston always stings, especially when the bullpen looks this vulnerable. But the season is a marathon, and a 39-25 record is nothing to panic about. Now, the team hits the road for Kansas City with their ace on the mound, fully rested. Tuesday is a new day and a perfect opportunity to wash away the taste of this weekend's loss and get back to business.
