Source: FanGraphs
That was no way to close out a homestand. The Yankees lost Sunday’s rubber match to the Rays by the score of 5-1 and frankly it didn’t feel like the game was even that close. The four-run deficit might as well have been 14 runs. Yuck. Let’s recap the team’s fourth loss in the last five days:
- CCrushed: CC Sabathia had his worst start of the season on Sunday and that’s really saying something. The Rays tagged him for five runs on ten hits (five for extra bases) in only 3.2 innings, his shortest start since going only 2.2 innings in Game 160 back in 2009. His defense didn’t help him any — Carlos Beltran embarrassingly never bothered to back up Jacoby Ellsbury on Wil Myers’ inside-the-park three-run homer, which bounced off the wall and rolled for days — but that really doesn’t matter. Sabathia was awful and the Rays smacked him all over the yard. Terrible.
- NOffense: Of course, Sabathia could have twirled a gem and it wouldn’t have mattered. The Yankees scored one run against Erik Bedard & Co. and were in “we have to fly out to the West Coast after this” mode by the sixth inning. Their best opportunities to get back into the game came in the fifth and seventh innings, when the first two batters reached base but the next three made outs. Both times. Didn’t even hit the ball hard once after the first two guys reached.
- Mexican Gangster Returns: The short start by Sabathia meant the Yankees re-debut for Al Aceves, who chucked 5.1 innings of shutout ball. He allowed only three hits, struck out five, and retired the final 12 men he faced. Aceves had some kind of knee problem in the fifth inning but remained in the game after being looked at by the trainer and throwing some test pitches. For at least one day, 2009 Al Aceves returned. He was the only bright spot on Sunday.
- Leftovers: Derek Jeter and Beltran went a combined 0-for-8 on the day and are 19-for-97 (.196) over the last two weeks. Bedard and Jake McGee threw fastballs by the Cap’n all afternoon. Straight up killing the offense … the Yankees drew two walks and now have only 17 walks in their last seven games (6.2%). That’s not nearly enough … Brett Gardner had two more hits and quietly went 10-for-25 (.400) on the homestand … Yangervis Solarte drove in the only run with a sac fly.
MLB.com has the box score and video highlights, FanGraphs some additional stats, and ESPN the updated standings. The Yankees are off to the West Coast for a three-game series against the Angels, who they just played in the Bronx last weekend. David Phelps will make his first start of the season in Monday’s season opener and will be opposed by Jered Weaver.
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