The Yankees actually won a FOX Saturday Afternoon Game of Death at Fenway — which almost never happens — 6-5 in extra innings, but lost the finale 7-6, also in extra innings, concluding a very long day of baseball in Boston. While ordinarily it’d be hard to complain about a doubleheaders split of this nature, this one stung a bit more because they were leading the second game 6-4 in the 8th inning.
Additionally, the team may have lost home field advantage during both the ALDS and ALCS due to Royce Ring‘s inability to throw strikes, not to mention the scrubbiest Red Sox lineup I’ve ever seen — a bases-loaded walk to Kevin Cash, really? — working very tough at-bats against Ivan Nova. With the Rays beating the Royals last night, the Yankees effectively lost the AL East crown.
The only way the Yankees can take the AL East now is if they beat the Red Sox on Sunday afternoon and the Rays lose their final game of the season. It would’ve been one thing if it was simply a matter of the Yanks having to win their last game, but also requiring a Rays loss that they have no say in makes it a very tall order.
The reality of falling to the Wild Card aside, Andy Pettitte and A.J. Burnett had encouraging outings in their last appearances before the playoffs. Pettitte wasn’t the most efficient pitcher in the world (4 IP, 3 ER), but still struck eight Sox out, while Burnett went 6 innings and only gave up two earned runs. I’d call that progress.
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