The stupidest games of the 2023 Yankees season

Between our “Top X Thing” and report card posts in recent week, we here at Pinstripe Alley have been wrapping up the 2023 Yankees’ season. Considering the way it played out and the disappointment of the year, there’s been plenty of discussion on what went wrong. On the other hand, there were some fun moments and performances as well, which we’ve also taken a look at.

This season review post is not quite about the good or bad. That’s right, it’s time for the yearly look back at the dumbest games from the 2023 season. From lineup no-shows, to bullpen blowups, to everything else, there’s was plenty of dumb stuff that went down in the 2023 Yankees’ year.

5. Yankees 0, Mariners 1 (10 innings) - May 31st

Apparently, it’s becoming a rite of passage that the Yankees lose a game in Seattle that goes into extra innings scoreless. Last year’s was a bit more adventurous than this one, but this one featured the Yankees going 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position before Cal Raleigh’s walk-off single.

4. Yankees 5, Royals 12 - September 29th

Between injuries and some general struggles, Carlos Rodón did not get his Yankee tenure off to the best start. However, towards the end of the season, he started to show some signs of the pitcher the Yankees signed to a big deal over last offseason. That came crashing down in his final start of the season.

Against the Royals in the final series of the year, Rodón was blasted for eight runs on six hits and two walks as he failed to record a single out. It was the cherry on top of a horrid sundae that was his 2023. Hopefully, he can turn things around in 2024.

3. Yankees 2, Twins 11 - April 13th

It took a little while for the stupidity of this season to be fully exposed, but this one was a bit of a sign.

Rookie Jhony Brito had gotten off to a nice little start in his first big league season, but this game brought him back to earth in a big way. To start the top of the first, the Twins’ offense went single, single, walk, RBI fly out, double, double, groundout, double, and home run. That knocked Brito out after seven runs and just 0.2 innings. Colten Brewer replaced him, but he began his outing by allowing back-to-back home runs.

By the time the dust had settled, the Twins led 9-0 and had brought 13 batters to the plate over the inning. Needless to say, the game was pretty much over after that.

2. Yankees 7, Rockies 8 (11 innings) - July 16th

While it wasn’t pretty, it looked like the Yankees were on their way to a second half-opening series win over the Rockies on the road in this game. A ninth inning rally saw them overturn a 5-3 deficit, and they then scored two runs in the top of the 11th thanks to the Oswald(o) combination, with both Cabrera and Peraza recording RBI hits to give the Yankees the lead.

Nick Ramirez was then tasked with the bottom of the 11th, and surely he could get a couple outs against the Rockies’ lineup? Folks, he could not. A Nolan Jones home run tied the game on just the second pitch of the inning. After Ramirez got two outs, Aaron Boone then went to Ron Marinaccio to try and finish off the inning, but he allowed a homer to Alan Trejo, as the Rockies took the game and series.

Personally, I had some errands to run this day, and left right after watching Oswaldo Cabrera give the Yankees the lead in the top of the 11th. I didn’t return until after the game, and came back to absolute chaos on Yankees’ Twitter and our Pinstripe Alley Slack room.

1. Yankees 4, Brewers 3 (10 innings) - September 10th

It’s a rare occurrence, but we do have a win that’s cracked this list.

The Yankees’ offense on this day was tasked with facing Milwaukee ace Corbin Burnes, and they did not pass that test. For eight innings, the former Cy Young winner held the Yankees to no runs on no hits and two walks. The Brewers went to Devin Williams in the ninth, and he struck out two in a 1-2-3 inning, dooming the Yankees to nine no-hit innings.

Luckily for the Yankees’ sake, they weren’t doomed to suffering a no-hitter for the second time in three years thanks to their own pitching. Gerrit Cole started on the mound for them, and while he did give up a couple hits, he made it through seven frames without allowing a run. Wandy Peralta and Clay Holmes followed him with a couple scoreless innings, keeping the Yankees in the game despite their complete lack of offense. At this point, I was openly rooting for the Yankees to somehow win without actually recording a hit.

The 10th inning went by without a Brewers’ run or a Yankees’ hit. In the 11th, Milwaukee took a lead when Tyrone Taylor singled home a run. At that point, not only did the Yankees seem doomed for a loss, but seemed doomed for getting no-hit in an extra-inning game.

That did not quite happen as Oswaldo Cabrera hit a double in the bottom of the inning, getting the goose egg out of that column, and also tying the game. However, that was all they got, which looked like a missed opportunity when the Brewers then scored two runs in the 12th. However, Giancarlo Stanton then tied the game with a homer in the bottom half of the inning. After Anthony Misiewicz — whoever that is — threw a scoreless 13th, Kyle Higashioka walked it off in the bottom of the inning.

The line score doesn’t look that abnormal, but that only tells half the story.