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MILWAUKEE — While Aaron Judge is chasing history, the Yankees are still chasing their playoff picture. Friday night, they got no closer to either. Judge did not homer, Frankie Montas did not show himself to be a playoff pitcher and Clay Holmes gave up the game-winner as the Yankees blew a five-run lead and lost to the Brewers 7-6 on a walk-off single at American Family Field.The Yankees (87-57) lost for the first time in five games.The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Yankees (87-57). Judge, who is four home runs shy of the American League record of 61, had two singles and was intentionally walked — to the ire of the 36,011 in attendance. Gleyber Torres went 2-for-4 with a double and Josh Donaldson hit a game-tying homer in the top of the ninth.Holmes has now allowed a run in four straight games and took his fourth loss, giving up a leadoff double to Hunter Renfroe in the ninth, a one-out walk to Andrew McCutchen and a walk to pinch hitter Victor Caratini to set up Garrett Mitchell’s walk-off single up the middle.Frankie Montas’ struggles as a Yankee continues, blows 5-0 lead in loss to Brewers. (Morry Gash/AP)The loss was the fifth in 13 games for the Yankees and it raised questions about the Bombers’ playoff plans to have Montas take the ball in the second game of a postseason series. Friday night, he did not look like a playoff pitcher.“It’s not my first year,” Montas said. “I know what I am capable of when I’m rolling. The regular season and the playoffs are not the same. The playoffs are also like a new start so maybe like I said I know what I am capable of when I’m on my game. So that’s what I’m looking forward to.”Friday night he was not “on” his game.Montas allowed four runs on four hits. He walked four and struck out two in just 3.1 innings of work. The Yankees had to dip deep into the bullpen to cover the rest of the game, using seven relievers.He got himself in trouble in the first inning, but got out of it unscathed. In the second, he led off by walking the No. 7 hitter and gave up a single to catcher Omar Narvaez. He struck out Mitchell and Christian Yelich, before Willy Adames crushed a slider 427 feet to left-center field to cut the Yankees lead to 5-3.Montas got out of that inning and just allowed one base runner in the third, a walk to McCutchen, but quickly got in trouble in the fourth. He left after walking the Brewers’ No. 9 hitter in the fourth inning with one out.Still, the Yankees are convinced that Montas is a key to their postseason success.The Pinstripe ExpressWeeklyThe Daily News sports editors handpick the week’s best Yankees stories from our award-winning columnists and beat writers. Delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. “We need him to,” manager Aaron Boone said when asked about Montas’ finding some consistency. “So, he’ll be back out there. He’s slated to go against the Red Sox so we gotta get him moving in a good direction and build some momentum hopefully down to the end of the season.”The Yankees picked up right-hander at the trade deadline specifically because of his track record against the Astros and the Rays with the playoff rotation in mind. So far, he is 1-3 with a 6.41 ERA in eight starts with the Bombers. The Yankees sent promising young pitching to Oakland for Montas, but so far it hasn’t paid off.“I haven’t really performed the way I know I can play,” Montas said. “I can try and go out there and I’m just trying to do my best…. I’m not really worried about that. I know what I can do. I know what I’m capable of doing. So I’m just trying to go day by day.”The Yankees spotted Montas a five-run lead after the first two innings.Judge led off the game with a single and scored on Donaldson’s sacrifice fly. Torres, who had doubled, scored on Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s single. Marwin Gonzalez drove in Oswaldo Cabrera, who had walked.Aaron Hicks led off the second with a single and scored on Donaldson’s ground out and a Brewers’ throwing error by Kolten Wong.The Yankees’ chased Brewers’ righty Adrian Houser after just three innings, allowing five runs on seven hits. He walked four and struck out one.
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