The New York Yankees (92-65) were hoping to celebrate their 21st American League East title on Tuesday, but missed opportunities in a 5-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles (87-70) will keep the champagne in storage for at least one more night. Despite notching three hits and an RBI, Gleyber Torres made arguably the biggest misstep of all.

Juan Soto smashed a base-hit to right field to bring the Yankees within one run in the seventh inning. Anthony Santander threw the ball to home plate to keep Torres from scoring, which in turn emboldened Soto to take second base. As the Orioles attempted to make the star pay for his aggressiveness (he was safe), Torres got an itch and started running off. He backtracked, but the damage was done.

He got caught in a rundown and made the final out of the frame, denying Aaron Judge the opportunity to step into the batter’s box with runners on second and third. Those who are not tapped into Yankees baseball might be inclined to give the veteran second baseman a pass, but The Bronx will not be quite as sympathetic. It has seen this type of sequence a troubling number of times.

Judge is more understanding, attributing the mistake to miscommunication. He made it clear, though, that such blunders must be avoided.

“When it comes down to it, stuff like that can’t happen,” the presumptive AL MVP said postgame, via SNY Yankees Videos, after blasting his 56th home run of the year. “Can’t keep shooting ourselves in the foot with mistakes like that on the basepaths. It happens and we’ve got to move on and get ready for tomorrow.”

The highs and lows of Yankees’ Gleyber Torres

Rookie of the Year candidate Austin Wells is understandably labeled as New York’s X-factor following a productive summer, but Gleyber Torres has supplied the team with significant secondary firepower. Initially a liability in both the lineup and field in 2024, the 27-year-old is now one of the reasons the men in pinstripes are likely going to clinch a top-two seed in the playoffs.

While the Orioles struggled to regain their footing, Torres helped the Yankees snap out of their rut and assume control of the division. He has raised his batting average to a respectable .257 and has nine multi-hit games in September. This is not a breakout performance, either. The Venezuelan’s talent is already established, as he earned All-Star game selections in his first two MLB seasons and posted an .800-plus OPS in three separate years.

But his glaring flaws are also undeniable. Torres is prone to defensive and baserunning lapses and is constantly under scrutiny for his effort. After this latest gaffe, he is now tied with Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz for most outs at home plate this season.

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Can Torres, Yankees stay out of their own way in playoffs?

Yankees manager Aaron Boone is trying to stay positive, opting to emphasize the gradual improvements Torres is making on the basepaths.

“He does make some mistakes on the bases,” the skipper said. “He’s cleaned it up a lot from I think last year and the year before, where he was getting himself in trouble a lot.”

Fans do not want to hear pleasantries right now. They desperately want the slip-ups to be corrected before October. If Torres can raise his awareness while still swinging an effective bat, he could become the hero he was prognosticated to be back in 2018. The Yankees cannot afford to be patient for much longer, though.