Photo by Tamara Davis
Why must the Yankees do that to us? They make us think that somehow, they’ll be able to pull off an exciting ninth inning comeback only to have it thwarted by Jose Valverde.
I’m sorry, let’s start from the beginning of this latest debacle.
Phil Hughes, who up until tonight, had pitched very well against the Tigers in Comerica Park, didn’t. He looked good to begin with but then the game went off the rails for him and he was taken out in the fifth inning after having thrown 102 pitches and given up four runs. Yes, one was a Miguel Cabrera home run because all he does is hit home runs against the Yankees.
Hughes’s outing was very strange. He looked good in the first three innings and then something happened in the fourth and fifth. It was a combination of bad luck, Miguel Cabrera and Brennan Boesch.
In the fourth, Hughes got every other batter out. Cabrera hit his dinger to lead off the inning then Hughes got Prince Fielder out on strikes. Next, Brennan Boesch singled after fighting off about 500 pitches – okay, it was 12 but it seemed like a lot more – then Hughes got Delmon Young to fly out. With two outs, Jhonny Peralta doubled on a 3-2 pitch, scoring Boesch to tie the game at two.
After the Yankees went quietly in the top of the fifth, the Tigers scored two runs in the bottom of the frame on a Cabrera two-run double which scored Andy Dirks and Austin Jackson who opened the inning with back-to-back singles.
Hughes was taken out and Boone Logan got Fielder to fly out and Boesch to strike out to end the inning.
The Tigers added runs in the sixth and eighth innings. The Yankees scored one in the seventh and then teased us with those two in the ninth off Valverde. Ichiro and Russell Martin each had an RBI to pull the Yankees within one and then Curtis Granderson, popped out to end the game. Hey, at least it wasn’t a strike out!
The offense, while not terrible against Rick Porcello – he gave up three runs on eight hits – just couldn’t do anything against either Brayan Villareal or Octavio Dotel.
Poor Eric Chavez has had a good series so far – he hit a home run and finished with two hits and two RBI – but the Yankees just can’t seem to win lately.
And one final note from the Elias Sports Bureau: The Yankees have lost last eight games decided by one run. It’s their longest streak in single season since 1944 (9 games).
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
8 Responses to The Yankees Are Big Fat Teases, Drop Two In Row To The Tigers
Leave a Reply
TIQ IQ
I too checked w the Elias folks. They said no one has ever hit a 3 run homer to lead off an inning. So I think that with the Tiger 3rd baseman playing shortstop, down by 3, Tex should have bunted his way on.
The Yanks were 22-22 at one point this season. I think that was the 1st 44 games. They are 16-16 in their last 32 games…..is 76 games too small a sample size to call this years team mediocre? There was a 20-6 hot streak sandwiched in between the two .500 streaks.
I’d say wait till next year but the owners want to be under 186 mil in 2014. With the majority of contracts being in the “bad” category, mediocre might be the norm for the next few years. Unless all the teams in baseball all collapse too. Then we might actually look good.
I know. There are times when I wish one of the home run hitters would bunt for a double when there’s a shift on. Haha.
That would be an incredibly dumb play. A guy who is not used to bunting is much more likely to pop one up, send it right back to the pitcher or put himself in a quick 0-2 hole than he is to get a hit. When the opposition shifts like that they don’t care if the batter bunts – even if he gets a hit. Why play into their hands. And please, explain to me why all of you small-ball zealots assume that bunting will always work and produce the outcome you imagine.
It’s much better for Tex to take his hacks or work out a walk than it is for him to do something he is not used to doing. No, he can’t hit a 3-run homer leading off the inning but he has as good a chance to hit a solo shot, get some other type of hit or walk than he does to perform an successful imitation of Ty Cobb.
First of all…Tex “did” pop up. Second, he does not have a good chance to hit a solo shot as he only hits homers in about 5% of his plate appearances. Unless you think 5% is a “good chance”. So far, roadrider, you’re just skidding on gravel. 3rd and last….”playing right into their hands? So you mean that Chavez single, Suzuki’s hit and the walks were “playing into Detroits hands”? You mean Leyland had them right where he wanted them? He had a secret plan to have 2 runs score, w runners on 2nd and 3rd so that his pitcher could face Grandy? Wow, I’m impressed.
Mark Texeira is a professional athlete. If he can’t lay down a bunt to a wide open left side to be on base in a critical situation, then he should learn.
ps…of course I don’t think bunting to “no fielder” will “always” work just 75% of the time…and why would you think that playing “long ball” will always work? If you make a stupid presumption that someone thinks something will always work, I’ll throw it right back at ya. One or 2 key situations during the season Tex needs to be creative and last night was one of them.
Rite now it doesn’t look good but as girardi says ther to good to b this bad thell straighten out
Girardi lost this one. How can you send Hughes out for the 5th inning when the offense gave him no rest after pitching 40+ pitches in the 4th. I never played the game and I know better than to expect him to pitch that many pitches in that short of time. I just hope Hughes did not injure himself. What were they thinking? Or were they thinking?
Joe Torre won four World Series and six pennants and brought the Yankees to the playoffs all 12 of his years, yet he was effectively fired after four straight chokes, the Great Choke of 2004 followed by three straight first-round playoff ones. Tito Francona won two World Series and ended the Curse of the Bambino for Boston, yet he too was fired after his team blew a 10-game lead to miss the playoffs. Once Girardi completes this year’s 10-game lead choke and misses the playoffs, can he too get canned despite his one World Series win? It would be the only positive to this rapidly crashing season. I recall the Yankees once letting a 10-game lead diminish to one-half game during the Reggie era, but they rebounded and won the division. Prior to this year, that’s the worst regular season performance ever.
Yankees fired Dick Howser after an 102 win season…hehe, but that was George in his hay-day.