Aaron Judge Oct 22, 2022; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) reacts after striking out in the sixth inning against the Houston Astros during game three of the ALCS for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Following their loss to the Houston Astros in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series on Saturday, the New York Yankees have their backs firmly up against the wall. Anything short of winning four straight against the Astros will end the Yankees’ season. So, what’s gone wrong for New York? Well, to put it mildly, the Bronx Bombers have bombed. Worse, it’s becoming a theme.

The Yankees were shut out on Wednesday. That came on the heels of scoring only two runs in both Games 1 and 2. Naturally, Houston’s pitchers deserve a lot of credit for that. And if this was simply a one-series issue, it would be easy to just credit the Astros for pitching so well. Only, that’s not the case. This is an issue that goes back more than two years and spans four different opponents.

Trailing the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 and facing elimination in the 2020 American League Division Series, the Yankees pounded out 11 hits in a 5-1 Game 4 victory. In Game 5, though, the Yankees lost 2-1, recording only three hits. That loss ended New York’s season in 2020. It also started a run of postseason futility that, through Saturday night’s game against Houston, has not been broken.

Starting with that Game 5 loss to Tampa in 2020, the Yankees have failed to record more than six hits in 10 straight playoff games.

That’s a run that included Game 5 of the 2020 ALDS to Tampa, the 2021 Wild Card Game loss to the Boston Red Sox, all five games in the 2022 ALDS victory over the Cleveland Guardians and now the first three games of the ALCS against the Astros.

For the Yankees, a team with unmatched history — particularly offensive history — this is stunning. And baseball fans certainly expressed their shock upon seeing it.

The fact that New York still beat Cleveland and has been competitive with Houston (particularly in Games 1 and 2) is a testament to how well the Yankees have pitched.

It’s certainly unlikely that New York will overcome the 3-0 deficit and get to its first World Series since 2009. But if they don’t start stringing together better at-bats, an unlikely task for the Yankees will quickly become impossible

[Alex Feuz on Twitter]

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