Friday night was the last straw.
After a seventh straight loss, and 11 defeats in 13 games, several Yankees expressed the need for everyone to come together.
Some things had to be addressed.
“Any time you’re going through a tough stretch, sometimes guys feel sorry for themselves. Sometimes it’s tough to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” veteran outfielder Brett Gardner said after the Yankees rallied for three eight-inning runs in an 8-7 win over the Mets at a sold-out Citi Field. “One of those things, where it’s just kind of enough’s enough. A couple of people had some things to say. I thought it went well and maybe it worked. We won today, so hopefully we’ll go on a winning streak.”
A number of different Yankees spoke up at the meeting — players such as Corey Kluber, Andrew Velazquez, Kyle Higashioka and Aaron Judge. Judge declined to say who called the meeting but noted that several players felt it was important they meet. Judge talked and his message was simple: Don’t forget who we are.
Amidst their massive struggles, he told his teammates, the Yankees still remain in playoff position, tied with the Blue Jays for the second AL wild card and a game behind the Red Sox for the first spot.
“We got the message across and it’s time to keep it rolling,” Judge said. “I had a message, just like a lot of guys did. But I think the biggest thing is to remind guys, ‘Hey, we’re still in the playoff hunt. The world’s not crashing down on us.’ Remind everybody who they are, who we are: We’re the New York Yankees. It’s an honor and privilege to get a chance to wear these pinstripes and play for this team. When you’re getting to September baseball in New York, that’s where it’s fun.”
The talk appeared to help, at least for one game. The Yankees snapped their long losing streak, racing out to a big early lead, blowing it and rallying late for a slump-busting victory.
The Yankees swung the bats better than they have in a while, bashing four home runs — two by Judge — and after retaking the lead in the eighth, Albert Abreu and Aroldis Chapman each tossed a scoreless inning, stranding a combined three runners on base. The defense was error-free, after several mistakes the night before.
“We definitely needed it,” Gardner said. “We needed it a few days ago, but it didn’t come until today. Over the last month, we’ve been to the highest of highs and here recently the lowest of lows.”