The large positive for the Yankees is Aaron Judge, since his return, has lived on the base paths.
The large negative for the Yankees is Judge has died on those base paths, too.
After another three-walk night, Judge has been issued six free passes in three games since being activated from the injured list.
He has been stranded all six times.
Monday was another frustrating night for the Yankees and their captain, losing 5-1 to the Rays to open a series in The Bronx that showed how opposing teams might continue to handle the best hitter on a team that isn’t hitting.
Judge walked on four straight balls in the third inning, moving Anthony Volpe to second with two outs.
Anthony Rizzo followed with a strikeout.
Judge earned a seven-pitch, one-out walk in the sixth inning and moved to third on a long Rizzo single.
But Giancarlo Stanton grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Judge’s final plate appearance opened the ninth, when he walked on five pitches.
Three quick outs later, he trudged off the field from first base.
“If he’s getting on three times a night, we’ll take that, and we need to capitalize on that,” manager Aaron Boone said after another quiet night from Yankees bats, finishing with three hits. “Teams are going to try to avoid him beating them, without question.
“But that creates opportunities, and that creates base runners, and that’s where other guys got to answer.”
No one has been answering during a tumultuous stretch for much of the offense and Rizzo, in particular.
Since the first baseman’s 4-for-4, possible-breakout game July 23, he has gone 3-for-25 with 10 strikeouts, his OPS all the way down to .708.
Rizzo continued to bat in the top four spots in the order throughout July despite the plunge.
Boone suggested Rizzo could be moved down as they seek a spark.
“It’s something I’ve considered,” Boone said. “We’ll continue to monitor.”
Judge, activated Friday without a rehab assignment and with a right big toe that he acknowledges is not fully healthy, continues to astound — but the bats that surround him have ensured the Yankees have lost two of the three games anyway.
Since returning, Judge has reached base in nine of 13 plate appearances.
He was asked if it is more difficult to take his walks when much of the rest of the order is struggling, and he paused several seconds before responding.
“Not really. I got a job to do,” said Judge, who struck out in his lone non-walk Monday. “When I’m in the box, I gotta get on base, I got to drive guys in when they’re out there — that’s all I can focus on. If guys are hitting, not hitting, that’s out of my control.
“I just got to keep doing my job, just like everybody else in this room. Hopefully that gets us going.”
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