The Yankees will lose their 11th straight series at Safeco today

The Yankees continue to play well enough to lose. Last night’s extra-inning loss to the Mariners ensures they will fly home later today tagged with their inability to win a series outright for the eleventh straight time, even with a win today.

The Yankees cannot get off the ground. They’re a team that doesn’t play poorly, but they’re also a team that does not play consistently well. After Friday’s win, I wondered if this would be another false start or the beginning of something that resembles a “run.” I have my answer.

Even the much-heralded trade with the White Sox to fortify a beleaguered bullpen lasted only one game and one win, as previous night’s heroes, David Robertson and Adam Warren, couldn’t shut the door for a second straight time.

The Yankees came back twice to tie the score, only to have the bullpen give it back to the Mariners. Aaron Judge hit his 32nd home run of the season, and both Matt Holliday and Ronald Torreyes delivered timely and crucial at-bats when the team needed them. Even Masahiro Tanaka stepped up with a six-inning, four run start, which these days is counted as a quality start for him.

Piling it on

And if you want to pile it on, the Yankees announced that Starlin Castro would be returning to the disabled list on a week after rejoining the team. And where is the $86 Million Man? Aroldis Chapman has been noticeably MIA for the last two games, and there is little, if any, information coming from the team about his current status.

More from Yanks Go Yard

• Aaron Judge’s ‘breadcrumbs’ showed he was never leaving Yankees, has more moves in mind
• Creating a Yankees-Bryan Reynolds trade package after latest Pirates update
• Yankees analyst Cameron Maybin projects surprise landing spot for Gary Sánchez
• Yankees swipe intriguing minor-league FA lefty flamethrower from Braves
• What does Carlos Rodón’s new jersey number mean for Domingo Germán?

Initially, the Yankees were saying they had a “concern” about Chapman’s loss of velocity in recent appearances. But if they really want to know what’s wrong with Chapman, all they need to do is look at the box scores of the Chicago Cubs games in the playoffs and World Series last October.

And so it goes. One step forward and two steps backward. And it has little or nothing to do with the trade deadline and who the Yankees may or may not add to their team. Did you hear the latest one? Get this. The Yankees are reportedly inquiring about Giancarlo Stanton. Yeah, right, sure.

Answers are in the clubhouse

No, it’s about the 25 players who currently occupy the Yankees clubhouse. And if these guys are waiting near the door looking for Sonny Gray, Gerritt Cole, or Babe Ruth to walk through, they’ve got it all wrong.

And whether we realize it or not, the Yankees are depleting their farm system ever so slowly. Blake Rutherford is not a throw-in. He’s a bonafide blue-chip prospect. His only fault is that he’s at least two and probably three years away from the big leagues. And therefore, the Yankees considered him expendable.

And maybe Brian Cashman will pull the trigger on another deal in the next few days to get the player who can make a difference. But whoever that player is, he will not make THE difference. That difference, the one that will make the Yankees a genuine threat to make the playoffs, still rests with the guys who currently wear the Pinstripes.

A 2-2 split with the Mariners, or even worse a 1-3 mark, if they lose again this afternoon, will not cut it. And get this. The Yankees need to play .650 baseball from here on in reach 90 wins. First of all, do the guys in the clubhouse even realize that? And second, do they look at themselves and say, sure why not?

Next: Yankees have to be disappointed with Sanchez

I’m not getting the feeling this team is ready to meet that challenge. Prove me wrong; I’ll be ecstatic. But I just don’t see that sense of urgency.