Yankees Loss vs. Athletics Shows Why Baseball Never Makes Sense

The New York Yankees have the best starting rotation in Major League Baseball right now but even making history wasn't enough for the club to get past the Athletics on Thursday, or Wednesday for that matter.

New York suffered its fourth loss of the season on Thursday, which actually was its second straight against the Athletics. Who saw that coming? Ryan Weathers pitched eight innings against the Athletics and allowed just one run, and yet he suffered a loss in the game. Will Warren allowed two earned runs in 4 2/3 innings on Wednesday, but New York would go on to lose 3-2. After the Yankees' loss against the Athletics on Thursday, USA Today's Bob Nightengale shared on X that New York set a new team record with the rotation allowing just 16 earned runs in 12 games.

"The Yankees starting rotation is yielding a dazzling 2.14 ERA this season, permitting just 16 earned runs, the fewest in franchise history though the first 12 games of a season," Nightengale wrote.

MLB History Behind Yankees' Rotation's Hot Start

Apr 9, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Ryan Weathers (40) pitches against the Athletics during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

New York's rotation has been making MLB history all season to this point. After six games, the Yankees' rotation had a 0.53 ERA, which was the best mark by a team since ERA became an official stat in 1913, per MLB's Sarah Langs.

The number obviously wasn't sustainable. Nightengale pointed out on Thursday that it jumped to 2.14, which is better than every other team in baseball. The Cleveland Guardians are second in the league at 2.67. The Chicago Cubs are at No. 3 at 2.72.

One of the beauties of baseball is that each day any team can win. The Yankees are clearly contenders. The Athletics have not been. New York's starting rotation is a juggernaut that has been operating at a level not seen in the league in a long time. The Yankees are one of the most historic franchises in the league. Arguably, they are the most historic team in the league. But this rotation has allowed fewer runs through 12 games than any other team in franchise history. Insane. And yet they have lost two straight games in which the rotation allowed three total runs.

Baseball isn't easily predictable. Sure, teams like the Yankees or Los Angeles Dodgers are going to win more than they lose. But they will lose games. On Thursday, they did pretty much everything right from a pitching perspective and yet they lost. The Yankees had just one hit. The Athletics had eight hits and yet they only scored one run. It's not often you see history like what New York is doing right now. It's certainly less common to make history for not allowing runs and somehow lose on that same day.

There isn't a league out there better than Major League Baseball right now. Sometimes it doesn't make logical sense. And that's what makes it great. New York is better on paper and all signs point to the fact that it should've won the series. And yet New York lost its first series of the season.