You know, Sunday night’s game started out so promising. The Yankees scored early, had a nice lead and a rested bullpen, but yet again they couldn’t get out of their own way. Freddy Garcia gave back every run his team scored the very next half inning, and more defensive gaffs cost them runs on the board. The end result was yet another Yankees loss, their fifth in a row.

At least Grandy shows up. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Early Runs …

Like I said, it started out so promising. Mark Teixeira singled in Derek Jeter for a quick first inning run, then Andruw Jones and Curtis Granderson went deep to give the Yankees their first three-run lead in what seems like forever. But, of course, it wouldn’t be a Yankees’ rally these days without an ill-timed bunt attempt. After Andruw led off the second with his dinger, Russell Martin drew a five-pitch walk. That’s when Gardner squared around to bunt, predictably popping it up on the infield and failing to advance the runner. Textbook example of the Yankees again shooting themselves in the foot.

Granderson hit the two-run homer a few batters later, and for all we know Gardner could have grounded into a double play and killed the rally even further. But good grief, I know the Yankees are struggling, but that early in the game you have to see if Jon Lester was willing to work himself into trouble. He sure looked like he was. If you try to force things when you’re struggling, it only gets worse. Stick to what your good at.

… But Freddy Gives Them Back

Oh Freddy. Freddy Freddy Freddy. You pitched so well last month, but lately you’ve shown that if you’re facing anything better than a hacktastic offense, no lead is safe. Tex’s first inning RBI single was answered with a strikeout/passed ball (on Martin, obviously), single, a walk, and a sacrifice fly. The two homers were met with a double, walk, and a three-run Kevin Youkilis homer. Seriously, look at this pitch…

Eighty-eight miles an hour. It gets no worse. That’s even worse than this 3-1, 89 mph meatball from last year. Garcia also served up a solo homerun to David Ortiz in the fifth inning, which effectively gave Boston the lead for good. Sweaty Freddy’s final line was five runs (four earned) in 5.1 IP, coming on six hits and two walks. It was obvious that he was in over his head right from the get-go, the Red Sox batters just weren’t chasing his junk off the plate.

(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Late Inning Shenanigans

David Robertson created a little bit of a mess with a pair of walks (one intentional, one not) in the seventh inning, but he got his ground ball, the inning should have been over. But instead, Alex Rodriguez rushed towards third base, failing to first secure the routine ground ball. Through his legs it went, Bill Buckner-style, and Dustin Pedroia came around to score. That was the only run Boston would get the inning, but frankly they should have gotten none. There seemed to be plenty of time for Alex to step on third and first to first for the double play. Again, another defensive miscue cost them a run. We’ve seen plenty of that lately.

HowEVA, the Yankees got that run back a half-inning later when Carl Crawford make a defensive mistake of his own in left. A-Rod hooked a ball down the third base line and Crawford’s bobble give Granderson the extra time he needed to go from first-to-home rather than just first-to-third. But, of course, Joba Chamberlain gave that run right back when he surrendered a solo homer to Jarrod Saltalamacchia in the eighth. It was a total Yankee Stadium cheapie, but they all count the same. That was Boston’s first homerun from a catcher all season. Whenever the Yankees managed to draw close, they gave it right back up. What else is knew.

(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Leftovers

Brett Gardner: five steals, six caught stealings this year following the fourth inning pickoff. Like I said a few weeks ago after that baserunning episode in Detroit, just keep running when that happens. Force them to make the play, stopping and getting stuck in a run down is as close to an automatic out as it gets. He really couldn’t be any worse of a base stealer. It’s a shame he can’t use his best tool effectively.

Offensive star of the night was again Granderson, who homered and also drew a walk. Mark Teixeira chipped in two singles, but also popped out on the infield twice. For his sake, I hope the Yankees are paying him by the pop-out. Robinson Cano had a hit and walk, Martin three walks, and Jorge Posada a pinch-hit walk that was met with a standing ovation*. That’s pretty much it. The Yanks had a not terrible performance with men in scoring position (2-for-5), but they still left eight ducks on the pond.

So that’s five losses in the row and nine losses in the last 12 games. It’s ugly, real ugly, but you know what? They could be in first place 48 hours from now. It’s always darkest before the dawn, or something like that.

WPA Graph & Box Score

MLB.com has a box score and video highlights, FanGraphs the rest.

Up Next

Off to the second home in Tampa for a quick two-game set. A.J. Burnett gets the ball against David Price on Monday night. Fun fun fun.

* After pulling himself out of the lineup the night before. Oh to be a True Yankee™.

Same shit, different day. The Yankees lost their fourth straight game on Saturday night, getting shut out for the fourth time this season and the second time by Josh Beckett. To make matters worse, Jorge Posada pulled himself out of the lineup for reasons that vary depending on who you ask. Neither the team nor Jorge needed the distraction, but that’s another post for another time.

"I just want to take my hands and put them around my entire team's neck just like this, all 25 of 'em at the same time. Is that too much to ask? I don't think it's too much to ask." (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

The Ugly Line That Wasn’t

When everyone looks back at this start in the future and sees 6.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 1 WP, 1 HB, they’re going to think Sabathia sucked. But through six innings the Yankees’ ace had held the Red Sox to just two runs on four hits and two walks, which is exactly the kind of start we’re accustomed to seeing out of CC. But a wild pitch, a blown call on what should have been strike three to Jason Varitek, a bobble by Nick Swisher, and a homerun allowed on his 116th and final pitch of the night uglified his line and put a game that was essentially out of reach even further out of reach. That seventh inning ruined what was a valiant effort by the big guy.

Sabathia retired a dozen in a row after allowing the first two runners of the game to reach base, emphatically striking out the side (not in order) to escape the jam in the first. I was ready to flip when they intentionally walked Dustin Pedroia to load the bases for Adrian Gonzalez later on, but a routine double play showed why I’m just some schmuck that writes a blog instead of managing a team. The homerun was unfortunate, but I have a hard time hanging this loss on just CC.

(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Runs? Where They’re Going, They Don’t Need Runs!

Hitless in ten at-bats with men in scoring position and ten runners left on base. Just par for the course these days. The first two Yankees reached base in the first inning, then the next three batters went down like wimps. Red Sox pitchers (mostly Beckett) struck out the leadoff batter in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh innings, so the Yankees didn’t even put the ball in play and give themselves a chance to reach base. Batting average with men in scoring position isn’t the be all, end all stat, but they have four singles and a double in 39 at-bats with men on second and/or third during this four game suckfest.

The only batter in the Yankees’ lineup to get two hits and/or not strike out at all was Curtis Granderson, who is pretty much the only player worth watching right now. Alex Rodriguez took yet another 0-for-4, and the 5-9 hitters combined for three singles and a walk in 20 trips to the plate. Andruw Jones struck out three times, Robinson Cano twice, A-Rod twice, and Tex twice. At least the first baseman busted out of an 0-for-30 slump against the Red Sox with a dinky little seeing-eye single back up the middle in garbage time. I could go on about the terrible offense, but I’d just be repeating myself from the last few days.

Leftovers

What the hell is Fox trying to do by having Sarah Silverman in the booth while promoting Paul Simon’s music between innings? What’s the target audience there? And is anyone more outdated that Tim McCarver? Every reference that guy makes is to something that happened when there were just 48 states in the union. Relevant information, please.

The Yankees have lost four in a row, obviously, but they’ve also lost eight of their last 11 and have been outscored 54-41 in the process. They’ve dropped six of the last seven against the Red Sox, and eleven of their last 16. The next three pitchers they face? Jon Lester, David Price, and the awesome version of Jamie Shields. These next three days could get ugly.

WPA Graph & Box Score

MLB.com has the box score and video highlights, FanGraphs the other stuff.

Up Next

Another ESPN Sunday Night Game, which is what, the fourth of the season? It’s at least the third, I’m sure of that. Freddy Garcia gets the ball against Lester, so maybe reverse lock laws will apply. One thing to remember: a team is never as good as it looks on its best days or as bad as it looks on its worst. The Yankees are better than this, I promise you.