Rookies, Not Amateurs: Yankees suffer third straight loss to an Athletics rookie starter

If New York Yankees fans were not familiar with the excellent pitching the Oakland A’s have been receiving from a trio of rookies for a better part of this season, they are now. The Yankees suffered their third straight loss at the hands of an Athletics’ rookie last night by the score of 2-1.

23-year-old righty, Jarrod Parker, held the Yankees to one run on six hits and one walk while striking out six. The Yankees have scored a total of six runs in the series so far. Once again, it was primarily the offense’s doing as the Yanks received a very good pitching performance from Phil Hughes.

Hughes (9-8) was bitten by the long ball, giving up two solo shots, one to Yoenis Cespedes in the fourth and the other to Brandon Inge in the bottom of the eighth. Hughes ended the game going 7 2/3 innings, allowing the two runs, on four hits and two walks. He struck out six. Hughes has allowed a team-leading 22 homers on the season in 19 starts.

The Yankees got on the board first in the fourth inning. Alex Rodriguez singled to open the frame and eventually scored on Raul Ibanez‘s two-out single. Hughes could not hold the lead longer than a few batters as Cespedes drilled a solo blast with two outs to tie the game in the bottom of the inning. It was Cespedes 13th home run of the season and second of the series.

From that point it was apparent that the next run scored by either team would be crucial as each pitcher was in complete control. Parker was relieved in the top of the ninth by yet another rookie, Sean Doolittle, who was in to close out the game with Ryan Cook unavailable after pitching in three successive games. The lefty allowed a leadoff single to Rodriguez, but then sent down Robinson Cano on strikes, ending his hit streak at 23 games. Doolittle struck out Mark Teixeira next, but Rodriguez got himself into scoring position by stealing second base. Andruw Jones came in to pinch hit for Ibanez but struck out swinging on a 3-2 count to end the game.

The Yankees fell to 57-37 and their lead in the American League East is down to seven games over the Baltimore Orioles. The A’s (50-44) have gotten themselves into a tie for the second wild-card spot and are only one-half game out of the first spot.

This afternoon the Yankees send their ace CC Sabathia to the hill to stop the bleeding. Sabathia (10-3, 3.27 ERA) was fantastic in his last outing against the Toronto Blue Jays, going six-plus scoreless innings in his return from the disabled list. The A’s counter with their oldest player on the roster, 39-year-old, Bartolo Colon. Colon (6-8, 3.88 ERA) gave up four runs in seven innings in a loss to the Texas Rangers.