The team you were last month, even yesterday, isn’t the team you are tomorrow. The question facing the Yankees right now: When does tomorrow become today? Things could be going worse, but not by much. No one is hitting, which means that even if the pitching staff does well they can’t win ballgames. Last night was no different, as they couldn’t plate a single run against a wild Tommy Hanson in a 4-0 loss to the Braves.
Who wants a full recap of this one? No one? That’s what I thought. A couple of bullet points will suffice.
- Chien-Ming Wang’s start was odd, to say the least. It looked like he was leaving everything up early, but guys were pounding it into the ground. Then, in the third, he delivered pitches at or below the knees to Brian McCann and Garrett Anderson, and they both drove them for doubles. Go figure. CMW’s day ended with just 62 pitches and five innings, but that’s because the Yanks couldn’t afford to waste a baserunner when Brett Gardner reached in the sixth.
- This means that Wang will certainly get the start Sunday at Citi Field. The man who would have replaced him, Phil Hughes, pitched damn well yet again. He was a bit shakier than his last few bullpen outings, but the Braves got nothing off him. Please, more Hughes.
- Team RISP: 0 for 8. Tommy Hanson walked five guys. That pretty much sums up the night for the offense. Oh, four hits, and none off the bullpen.
- From April 6 through June 8, no team shut out the Yankees. From June 9 through last night, three teams have accomplished the feat. Also from June 9 on, a span of 13 games, the Yanks have scored three or fewer runs seven times.
Something is horribly, desperately wrong with the Yankees offense. They scored 43 runs over the first seven games in June, and have scored 52 runs in the next 13. And that 13 games includes the 15-0 shellacking of the Mets.
What in the hell can makes this team change so suddenly? Many blame Girardi and staff, but if they’re to blame now, well, then what happened in May and the beginning of June? Did Josh Beckett’s dominance really put this team in an irrevocable slump? Geez, I hope not. If one game can get in a team’s head, then I fear I won’t be enjoying the rest of the season.
Again, I ask: When will tomorrow be today?
If you didn’t like that recap, you can always check out the alternate one.
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