Source: FanGraphs
Unfortunately, the Yankees aren’t going to score double-digit runs every game. The offense and defense faltered in Saturday afternoon’s 6-1 loss to John Lackey and the Red Sox. Let’s recap:
- Bad Timing: With a Game Score of 37, Hiroki Kuroda picked an unfortunate time to have his second worst non-injury-shortened start of the season. His fielders and the umpires didn’t help him out, but Kuroda did allow a career-high eleven hits and a season-high tying five runs in 5.2 innings. With better defense and proper calls, it’s probably more like three runs in six innings, which is still a notch or two below his recent work. Eh, what can you do. Kuroda’s been too good this year to get worked up about one subpar outing.
- Grounded: Lackey had a vintage Chien-Ming Wang outing on Saturday. He struck out just one batter in 6.2 innings, but recorded 15 ground ball outs and just two in the air. The top three hitters in the lineup — Brett Gardner, pinch-hitter Vernon Wells, Ichiro Suzuki, and Robinson Cano — went a combined 0-for-12 with an infield single and eleven ground ball outs. That’s rough. Their best chance to score came in the second, when the Yankees loaded the bases but failed to score. An Alfonso Soriano base-running gaffe and Chris Stewart in general sabotaged the inning.
- Leftovers: For exactly one batter in the fourth inning, Kuroda led the AL with a 2.27 ERA. The next batter singled in a run … Adam Warren threw 57 pitches across two innings, so it’s unlikely he’ll be available to start one game of Tuesday’s doubleheader … Soriano had two more hits and Lyle Overbay had three … Eduardo Nunez drew a pair of walks … the Yankees stole two bases in three attempts and have clearly been picking on Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s weak arm these last two games.
For the box score and video highlights, go to MLB.com. For some other stats, go to FanGraphs. For the up to the minute standings, go to ESPN. Depending on the outcome of the late game, the Yankees will be either six games (Athletics lose) or seven games (Athletics win) back of the second wildcard spot in the loss column. CC Sabathia and Ryan Dempster is your pitching matchup for the series finale on Sunday night.
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