The New York Yankees are in free fall. They have now lost 5 of their last 6 series. They dropped 2 of 3 to the Astros, 2 of 3 to the Rangers, and suffered a brutal sweep at the hands of the Miami Marlins. It has been an ugly stretch and it is exhausting to watch.

The solution is not overly complicated. Giancarlo Stanton needs to be in the lineup every single day. Since returning from injury, Aaron Judge’s bat has not looked right, and that is something you work through. But Stanton, despite limited playing time, is hitting .375 over his last 5 games. When he is in there with Judge and Cody Bellinger, the lineup has legitimate thump. Without him, it feels flat.

The standings do not paint a pretty picture. The Yankees sit 6.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East. That race looks finished. They are also just 0.5 game ahead of the Cleveland Guardians, a team that basically sold at the deadline. That is not the company you want to keep in August.

This week’s series against the Minnesota Twins has to be a turning point. Will Warren gets the ball tonight, Carlos Rodón goes Tuesday, and Cam Schlittler pitches Wednesday. The Yankees have historically dominated the Twins, and if they cannot take at least 2 of 3 here, the conversation around this team gets even darker.

There is also the lingering question if the Yankees had not stolen that final game against Texas, would Aaron Boone still be the manager. Boone remains confident, telling reporters “When it turns, you build the next layer of confidence.” But confidence does not erase sloppy defense, poor base-running and the inability to beat rivals. Carlos Correa is torching the Yankees. Jose Altuve is treating them like batting practice. Fans are showing up to the Stadium wearing paper bags that read “Boone is a Buffoon.”

The pitching staff is a problem too. Without Gerrit Cole, Max Fried is supposed to be the ace. Since July 1, he owns a 6.00 ERA over 7 starts. That is far from reassuring. And while pitching has been shaky, the offense has gone missing at the worst times. On Sunday, the Yankees had no hits through five innings against 32-year-old Jason Alexander. That simply cannot happen.

Boone’s solution yesterday was another ejection. It was his 5th of the season, which leads the majors.

The season is not over and there is still time to turn things around. After Minnesota, the Yankees face the Cardinals, Rays, and Red Sox. These are all winnable series if this team plays to its potential. But time is running out and the margin for error is gone. For now, all Yankees fans can do is hope history repeats itself against the Twins. Right now, this lifeless team needs something, anything, to spark a run.