Source: FanGraphs
A series win continues to elude the Yankees. The Yankees dropped the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader 3-0 to the Red Sox after winning the first game by the same score. The two teams split the four-game series as well. New York is now 0-7-2 in their last nine series. They haven’t gone this long between series wins since 1991, which was an awful season. Let’s recap the second game of the doubleheader with bullpen points:
- Tanaka’s One Mistake: Masahiro Tanaka pitched better than his line (7.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 9 K) would lead you to believe. He made one mistake, which of course was hit for a home run, because every mistake is hit for a home run in 2017. Mookie Betts cranked a two-run homer over the Green Monster on a hanging slider in the third inning. The third run was stupid. Betts should have been out twice on his infield double — Starlin Castro and Garrett Cooper both threw the ball away on that play — then two grounders got him in. The second should have been stopped at third by Ronald Torreyes, who inexplicably played all 43 innings of the series. The homer stunk. Everything else about Tanaka was pretty rad.
- No Match For Price: The Yankees have had an awful lot of success against David Price in recent years, but he carved them up Sunday night. It was Price at his best. He was pounding both corners with fastballs and busting righties inside with cutters. The Yankees didn’t have much of a chance. Their best chance to score came in the seventh, when Castro and Clint Frazier singled to put two on with one out, but then Cooper and Torreyes came up, and that was that. Price had the Yankees guessing inside and out and was overpowering with velocity. He was dominant.
- No Shutout Streak Ends: The Yankees did get the tying run to the plate with two outs in the ninth against Craig Kimbrel, but Chase Headley struck out, and that was that. The no shutout streak is officially over at 89 games. This is the fourth longest no shutout streak to start a season in franchise history behind 1932 (156 games, never shutout that season), 1927 (128 games), 1933 (97 games). Yeah, it’s been a while. The last time the Yankees were the last team to be shutout in a season was … 2009. That was a good year. My favorite subplot of the season is over. The no shutout streak is dead. Long live the no-shutout streak.
- Leftovers: Aaron Judge’s on-base is over at 42 starts. He went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. The two balls in play were a line drive at Betts and a robbed home run by Jackie Bradley Jr. Here’s the video. Incredible catch. As long as Judge keeps taking swings like that, I’m not worried … the Yankees had eight hits. One by every starter except Judge. Brett Gardner drew the only walk. He came off the bench in the ninth against Kimbrel … Chasen Shreve was the only reliever used and he struck out Mitch Moreland, the only batter he faced.
Here are the box score, video highlights, and updated standings. We have a Bullpen Workload page worth checking out as well. The Yankees are now off to Minnesota for a three-game set with the Twins. Lefty Adalberto Mejia will be on the mound for the Twinkies in Monday night’s opener. For the Yankees? It’ll be either Bryan Mitchell or Caleb Smith, Joe Girardi said. I’m guessing it’ll be Mitchell. (Update: The Yankees announced it’ll be Mitchell. Told ya.)
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