Will Warren was positively wretched from the jump last night, coughing up six runs in the first three innings and delivering an 11-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies in the series finale. That stinker means the New York Yankees are flying to Chicago with a sour taste, even after winning the series in Philly.
The Wheels Came Off, Fast
It was always gonna be a tough ask to complete the sweep against the Phillies, especially with their ace Cristopher Sánchez on the mound. But seriously, it doesn’t matter who’s pitching for them when your own guy hands over a half-dozen runs before the fourth inning even starts. The Phillies’ slug, which had been MIA for the first two games, reappeared immediately against Warren. Trea Turner led off the bottom of the first with a triple, thanks to a Trent Grisham misread in center, and just like that, the game’s first run scored on a Kyle Schwarber sac fly. You could feel the unease setting in right away, with how tight the scoring had been all series.
That Heater Isn’t Heating Up Anymore
The damage kept piling up, dude. In the second, Bryson Stott crushed a one-out, center-cut 1-0 fastball on a line right into the seats for a solo shot, making it 2-0. It always felt like Warren was teetering, and then his start just completely imploded in the third. He walked Schwarber with two outs, then gave up a double to Bryce Harper, putting runners on second and third. The Yankees intentionally walked Brandon Marsh to load the bases and bring up the struggling Alec Bohm. Warren got ahead 1-2, but then threw a pair of non-competitive pitches, forcing a full count. Bohm didn’t miss, crushing a hanging sweeper to the wall in left-center, clearing the bases! Stott then singled Bohm home, and just like that, it was 6-0. This guy has now given up 31 runs (27 earned) in his last 37.2 innings since the start of June. That’s a serious problem, and it’s not getting better.
Fight, But No Finish
Much of Warren’s early-season success came from his unique up-shoot fastball, thrown from a low arm slot, and his conviction to pound the zone with it. But man, the league’s read that book. That 93 mph heater is just a mediocre offering now, thrown way too much for its below-average raw characteristics and imprecise command. Five of the six hits and that sac fly came against his four-seamer or sinker, yet he threw those subpar pitches a combined 63 percent of the time. He finally exited after a leadoff single in the fourth, finishing with six runs on six hits and two walks in three-plus innings. To their credit, the Yankees offense didn’t just roll over. They loaded the bases in the fourth with Amed Rosario reaching on a Trea Turner error, Anthony Volpe doubling, and Max Schuemann battling for a two-out walk. But José Caballero bounced a chopper, stranding all three. They did manage to crack the seal on Sánchez in the fifth when Ali Sánchez led off with a single, but it was too little, too late.
The Yankees are now heading to Chicago after that rough series finale. With Warren struggling this much, you gotta wonder if something changes, or if they keep seeing these kinds of blown-up innings. They won the series, which is something, but that game definitely left a mark. They need to figure out how to get that starting pitching back on track.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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