Yankees drop to 1-4 as Hughes comes off DL

Source: FanGraphs

You guys aren’t going to believe this, but the Yankees lost to Tigers on Saturday because the pitching stunk yet again. The offense wasn’t all that great either, but the pitching really stole the crap show on Saturday. Let’s recap…

• Mediocre Return: In what looked like a Major League rehab start, Phil Hughes allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits (three for extra bases) in four innings. I guess the good news is that he didn’t walk anyone, but that’s a small consolation prize. Andy Pettitte and Adam Warren are the only pitchers on the team to throw more than five innings in an appearance this year.
• Bullpen of Doom: It’s stunning how awful the middle of this bullpen is. Boone Logan, David Phelps, and Joba Chamberlain combined to put 12 men on-base in four innings, resulting in four runs (three earned). They walked as many as they struck out (three). The relief corps own an 8.10 ERA as a whole. Bravo.
• Bad Send: The Yankees managed a double, a triple, and a homer in the second inning yet only scored one run because a) sequencing!, and b) for whatever reason Brennan Boesch was sent home on Frankie Cervelli’s shallow fly ball to left. He was thrown out by a good ten feet. When you’re struggling to score runs, you can’t be giving away runners like that. There were no outs in the inning and Max Scherzer was giving up rockets all over the field.
• Some More Offense: The Yankees pushed across three runs in the sixth, two on Lyle Overbay’s two-out, two-strike single to right. Overbay was the only player on the team with multiple hits, though Kevin Youkilis, Travis Hafner, and Vernon Wells all had a hit and walk. Those guys are the only ones capable of creating runs for the team right now.
• Leftovers: Brett Gardner saved Hughes’ bacon with a sliding catch to end the third. The Tigers had men on second and third at the time … Jayson Nix bobbled the most routine of routine grounds in the first, resulting in an unearned run. He also went 0-for-3 at the plate with two strikeouts … Robinson Cano went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts, so anytime he wants to get back from the World Baseball Classic would be cool … the Yankees haven’t scored more than four runs in a game since Game One of the ALDS, 13 games ago.

MLB.com has the box score and video highlights, FanGraphs has some additional stats, and ESPN has the updated standings. The Yankees will look to avoid the sweep on Sunday afternoon when CC Sabathia squares off against Justin Verlander. In addition to a win, New York really needs some length out of Sabathia. The bullpen has thrown 17 innings in the last four days.