Jun 29, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees catcher J.C. Escarra (25) walks off the field after the top of the eighth inning against the Athletics at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Yankees Catcher Gets Brutally Honest After Loss

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Erin Shapland | Last updated Jul 2, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The New York Yankees took their latest beating in Toronto on Canada Day, and catcher J.C. Escarra is taking the blame.

Escarra's catcher's interference call, his second in two games and third this season, was costly for the Yankees in a seventh inning that ultimately saw the Blue Jays jump from a 4-4 tie to a 9-4 lead.

Relief pitcher Luke Weaver had just replaced Mark Leiter Jr. on the mound and was pitching to Blue Jays infielder Addison Barger, his first batter of the game. Barger would have struck out otherwise, but instead loaded the bases just before the hit that secured the lead.

“It’s on me,” Escarra said. “I intend to get as close as possible, but obviously not letting that happen. I was too close today. I didn’t help my team win today, or [Monday]. It shouldn’t happen. But it’s something I can control. But I was too deep in there trying to steal that low strike.”

Escarra is in the lineup following an announcement from the Yankees that starting catcher Austin Wells is suffering from artery damage to a finger on his left hand.

Weaver spoke on the Yankees' poor performance of late in a postgame interview via the New York Post.

“We’re not playing our best baseball by any means,” Weaver said. “All of our facets got to line up. It’s part of the game, where you hope to click on all three facets [hitting, pitching and defense]. You hope that two out of three holds you strong for a while. We’ve just run into a buzz saw where we’re not quite doing that as well as we’d like to."

The Yankees catcher certainly isn't solely to blame for the loss. Even superstarter Max Fried showed he's human after all, allowing four runs in his six innings and dropping his ERA to 2.13.

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