For much of the season, regardless of who’s in the lineup or on the injured list, the Yankees have played like the best team in the American League.
Saturday was not one of those days.
There was a no-show from the offense, sloppy defense and an uninspiring start by Will Warren.
And a 10-2 loss to the Reds in The Bronx.
The Yankees entered having won five of six and nine of their previous 11, even with Aaron Judge — and plenty of others — sidelined.
But against lefty Andrew Abbott, the Yankees got a first-inning homer from Paul Goldschmidt and almost nothing else.
Goldschmidt gave the Yankees the lead with a two-out solo shot to right-center in the first.
It was Goldschmidt’s third homer in his last five games, as well as fourth in his last seven.
Warren, after striking out the side in order in the top of the first, gave up a leadoff double to Nathaniel Lowe in the second.
But the right-hander didn’t let Lowe get past second and the Yankees stayed ahead.
In the third, Edwin Arroyo doubled with one out and Blake Dunn walked.
Both scored on Sal Stewart’s double to left to give Cincinnati a 2-1 lead.
The Reds added to their lead in the fifth, thanks to some shoddy Yankees defense.
Arroyo led off with a grounder to shortstop that should have been a routine play, but Anthony Volpe threw low and Ben Rice dropped it for an error on the first baseman.
After a forceout, JJ Bleday doubled to right and Stewart followed with a sacrifice fly.
Lowe walked and Spencer Steer hit a three-run homer to left to make it 6-1.
The Yankees loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the fifth for Goldschmidt, but Goldschmidt struck out looking on a 3-2 sweeper.
A running catch in deep left by José Caballero in the sixth prevented at least one more run from scoring.
The Yankees finally chased Abbott in the sixth when Cody Bellinger and Jasson Domínguez opened with base hits.
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With two on and no one out, right-hander Tejay Antone came on and got Caballero and Jazz Chisholm Jr. to pop out and Volpe to fly to right to drop the Yankees to 0-for-9 on the afternoon with runners in scoring position.
It got so ugly, in part due to Ryan Yarbrough giving up four runs in the eighth, that the Yankees resorted to using a position player, Max Schuemann, to pitch the ninth.
