Source: FanGraphs
Once again, the Yankees played just well enough to fall short of a much-needed win. Friday night’s 4-3 loss to the Red Sox was their fifth loss in the last six games, with the last three of those losses coming against last place teams. After starting the second half with seven wins in eight games, the Yankees are now 8-6 since the All-Star break. Let’s recap the latest loss:
- Cap’d Off: I feel like every out Chris Capuano records is a gift from the baseball gods. He was left in just long enough to set up the game-losing run on Friday night, holding the Red Sox to four runs on eight hits in 6.1 innings. Boston was all over Capuano in the third (two runs) and fourth (one) innings, I mean even the outs were hard hit, but he did set down nine in a row at one point after that. He allowed a single to the number nine hitter leading off the seventh inning, a batter he probably shouldn’t even have faced, which led to that fourth and final run for the Red Sox. Capuano was fine, but these Yankees don’t win when the starter is only fine.
- Chip Away: The Yankees scored one run in three different innings. Carlos Beltran clubbed a solo homer in the fourth, then he singled in another run in the sixth. Jacoby Ellsbury walked and stole second to set that one up. Derek Jeter homered over the Green Monster for the team’s third and final run in the eighth. It was a bomb. It was also Jeter’s first homer off a right-handed pitcher (Junichi Tazawa served it up) since September 9th of 2012, when he took Kevin Gregg deep. His last three dingers had come against southpaws.
- Blown Chances: Anthony Ranaudo was okay in his MLB debut, allowing two runs on four hits and four walks in six innings. He only struck out two and seemed to miss up all night. Ranaudo walked the leadoff man in the first and second innings, but the next three batters made outs both times. The Yankees had runners on the corners with two outs in the eighth following a Mark Teixeira bloop double and a Brian McCann walk, but Chase Headley grounded out to end the inning. That was by far their best chance to tie the game. Close but no cigar.
- Leftovers: Headley went 0-for-4 but was awesome in the field, making three outstanding stops to save Capuano hits … Stephen Drew (0-for-4) and Martin Prado (0-for-2 off the bench) had forgettable Yankees debuts … Shawn Kelley allowed the inherited runner to score in the seventh, accounting for Boston’s fourth run. Adam Warren and Matt Thornton combined for a scoreless eighth on five total pitches (with a base-runner!) … Brett Gardner (two walks) and Ellsbury (single, walk) each reached twice, and Ellsbury was robbed of extra bases on Mookie Betts’ outstanding lunging catch in the eighth … the Yankees have hit multiple homers in seven straight games now, the first time they’ve done that since 2009. They’re 2-5 in those games.
MLB.com has the box score and video highlights, FanGraphs has some other stats, and ESPN has the updated standings. The Orioles won while the Blue Jays and Mariners lost, so he Yankees are six games back of the top spot in the AL East and 3.5 games back of the second wildcard spot. You can pretty much forget about the division at this point. FanGraphs gives them a 13.1% of making the postseason right now. Shane Greene and Allen Webster will be the pitching matchup on Saturday afternoon.
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