New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone heated after team's 'embarrassing' 9-0 loss to Tampa Bay Rays

Manager Aaron Boone continues to struggle in his attempts to explain the freefall that the New York Yankees are going through the second-half of the season.

But he hopes New York's 9-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays Friday night at Tropicana Field was a wake-up call.

«That's an embarrassing loss,» said the usually mild-mannered Boone. «Hopefully, one of those rock bottom situations, where you should be pissed off and embarrassed. We've set a better standard around here. We just got to be better. Period.»

The Yankees' 9-0 defeat was their biggest blowout loss this season. That nine-run margin of defeat marked their largest loss since Oct 2, 2021, precisely against Tampa Bay (12-2). Three of the Yankees' last four losses by nine runs or more have come against the Rays.

«It's just embarrassing when you get beat like that and you're going through the struggles you are,» Boone added. «I'm in charge of this team. What we're going through right now, I know better than anyone, there's going to be hard moments and hard times. I do think the effort's there, I think the care is there. But we've set a much better standard in that room that we've got to start living up to.»

The Yankees' lead in the AL East, which was as high as 15½ games on July 8, is now down to only five games. The last time the Yankees' divisional lead was down to five games or less was at the end of play on June 1.

But All-Star outfielder Aaron Judge stressed that the slimming advantage that they are currently holding atop the AL East cannot be a focal point.

«I don't pay attention to it. That's the worst thing you can do in anything is press or feel pressure,» Judge said. «We're playing a kid's game. This is a game we love, and we've got to go out there with