Wasted chances send Yankees to 5-3 loss to Brewers

Source: FanGraphsThe Yankees were able to squeeze in one last frustrating loss before the All-Star break. Thanks for that, guys. The offense left a small army of runners on base in Sunday afternoon’s 5-3 loss to the Brewers. The Yankees are now 0-7-1 in their last eight series. That is: bad. It’s Sunday, so I’m going to take the easy way out with a bullet point recap:

• Early Deficit: Masahiro Tanaka has pitched pretty darn well the last month or so, but his home run troubles returned Sunday, and they put the Yankees in an early 4-0 hole. Travis Shaw clubbed a long three-run home run into the right field bleachers in the first inning, then Stephen Vogt tacked on a solo shot in the second. Tanaka couldn’t make it out of the fifth and finished the afternoon having allowed five runs on six hits and one walk in 4.1 innings. Hopefully this was just a blip and Tanaka can built on those last few good starts in the second half.
• Back In The Game: The Yankees made things interesting in the fourth and cut Milwaukee’s lead to 4-3. A single (Jacoby Ellsbury), a stolen base, another single (Chase Headley), and a homer (Clint Frazier) accounted for those three runs. Frazier can really hit, eh? Also, props to the bullpen. Chasen Shreve allowed one of Tanaka’s inherited runners to score, otherwise five relievers (Shreve, Adam Warren, Tyler Webb, Chad Green, Aroldis Chapman) combined for 4.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K. They gave the offense a chance.
• Blown Opportunities: The last few innings were the mother of all RISPFAILs. The Yankees had the tying run on base in each of the last five innings and the go-ahead run on base in the sixth, seventh, and eighth. Leadoff single and walk in the sixth? Wasted. One-out single and two-out walk in the seventh? Wasted. Two-out strikeout/wild pitch and walk in the eighth? Wasted. Wasted wasted wasted. The Yankees went 1-for-16 (.063) with runners in scoring position. Dude.
• Leftovers: Headley narrowly missed a go-ahead three-run home run in the sixth inning. It sailed maybe a foot foul down the right field line. The umpires originally called it a homer and Headley trotted around the bases. It was overturned on replay. Alas … two hits for Headley and one each for everyone in the starting lineup except Didi Gregorius and Ji-Man Choi … Brett Gardner stole two bases and Ellsbury had one. This was the sixth game with at least three steals by the Yankees this season. Felt like the first.

Here are the box score, video highlights, and updated standings. Don’t miss our Bullpen Workload page either. The Yankees are now scattering for the All-Star break — Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Starlin Castro, Luis Severino, and Dellin Betances will be at the All-Star Game (Judge and Sanchez are in the Home Run Derby) — and will reconvene at Fenway Park for the start of the second half on Friday. Enjoy the break, guys. Come back and kick butt.