A quiet night in another loss to Cincinnati might spur some changes in the Yankees’ lineup

NEW YORK – For a long while, the best thing going for Yankees Universe on Wednesday night was MLB’s confirmation of Juan Soto’s slam-dunk case to make the All-Star team.

Mid-game, Soto learned he’d join his superb teammate, Aaron Judge, in the AL’s starting outfield on July 16 at Arlington, Texas.

By the seventh inning, Anthony Volpe – amid a deep slump – lashed a two-run double, cutting the Cincinnati Reds’ lead to a run, and Soto walked to put runners at the corners.

At last, a sellout crowd on Fireworks Night had something to cheer about as Judge strolled up to bat.

Those hearty chants of ‘’M-V-P!’’ still echoed around Yankee Stadium when Judge attacked reliever Fernando Cruz’s first pitch and rapped into an inning-ending double play.

And that was essentially goodnight from the Bronx, where the Reds’ 3-2 win made the Yankees 0-5-1 in their last six series.

Yankees struggling to find depth in their lineup

Soto called Judge an amazing baseball player,'' and someone he's "more than happy to share field every day with him, and now in the All-Star Game,’’ as a first-time starter.

That tandem of Soto (.997 OPS) and Judge (1.149 OPS) in the AL’s All-Star Game lineup has carried a club where elements of the lineup resemble the 2022 club – and not in a good way.

At this point, you might sub the names Aaron Hicks, Marwin Gonzalez and Joey Gallo for current players Trent Grisham, Jahmai Jones and JD Davis, but it’s the Verdugos , LeMahieus and Torres’ that are counted on to make more consistent contributions.

In configuring his best daily lineup, “at different points of the year, sometimes it’s a challenge,’’ said manager Aaron Boone, before his club out-hit the Reds by a whopping 5-3 on Wednesday.

“Obviously, these last couple of weeks there’s been more thought that goes into (lineup construction), having a couple of guys injured,’’ Boone said, referencing Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo.

Plus, switch-hitting outfielder Jasson Dominguez would be a lineup presence now, if not for an oblique strain that could keep him sidelined through August.

Just named the AL’s Player of the Month for June, Judge – who was also May’s award winner – might have offered at Cruz’s first pitch because, well, pitches in the zone could become scarce.

“The (Barry) Bonds treatment might be too extreme, just in today’s game,’’ said Boone, though it could happen “in certain situations’’ in a game.

Judge still smashed a 106.8-mph grounder at third baseman Noelvi Marte, who started the inning-ending DP, and the Reds (41-45) were on their way past the Yanks (54-34) again.

Anthony Volpe's hold on the leadoff spot is "a fluid situation''

On the Fourth of July, it’ll be old friend Frankie Montas trying to pitch Cincinnati to a three-game sweep, after lefty starter Andrew Abbott held the Yanks to one run across 6.1 innings Wednesday.

As for Volpe, he was in a 5-for-42 slide (.119) and with one RBI and zero walks before his sharp double to left-center.

Asked about Volpe continuing in the leadoff spot before the game, Boone called it “a fluid situation’’ and “something I’m paying attention to,’’ adding that the sophomore shortstop is still developing as a hitter but “I’ll bet on the person, and the player and the talent.

“Hopefully, we look up in two weeks and he’s hot and the numbers change,’’ Boone said of Volpe, who grounded into a double play in the ninth, after Austin Wells’ leadoff walk.

“Stick to my approach, stick to my plan,’’ remains Volpe’s tightly focused view.

Carlos Rodon was "a lot better'' than his last three outings

No, Carlos Rodon wasn’t thrilled to see Boone pop from the dugout and call for Michael Tonkin after a one-out walk in the sixth.

“I wanted to stay in, get those last two outs in that inning. But I understand,’’ said Rodon, who was “a lot better (Wednesday) than the last three’’ starts he made.

Rodon gave up a two-run homer to Marte on an 0-1 fastball and a solo homer to Stuart Fairchild on a 3-2 slider, but he struck out eight batters by mixing in more breaking pitches, cutters and changeups to go with his fastball.

That was a conscious decision following his previous three starts, all losses when the veteran lefty yielded 20 earned runs in 13.2 innings (13.17 ERA) and 28 hits – five of them homers.

In that span, Rodon’s ERA jumped from 2.93 to 4.42.

So, after the one out walk, “I wanted to get him out of there having thrown a pretty good game,’’ said Boone, whose relief choice – Michael Tonkin – pitched effectively through the seventh.

As for the home runs yielded by Rodon, “that’s kind of how it’s going right now,’’ said Boone.

“It’s not a double, it’s not a base hit, it’s in the seats, and that’s what we’ve got to stay away from,’’ though overall “I feel like he’s in a good place.

“He’s definitely pitching,’’ said Boone. “Hopefully, thus is one he can build on even more.’’

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: A quiet night in another loss to Cincinnati might spur some changes in the Yankees’ lineup