Yankees lose another opportunity, fall to five back again

The Yankees, in almost every other respect, continue to play good baseball and they remain on track for the Playoffs. But more and more, it seems like this team is not destined to be a “finisher” in the division race. And today’s game proves it.

Yankees manager, Joe Girardi, sent a respectable lineup to home plate before the rubber game of the series with the Boston Red Sox. Unfortunately, only one of his Yankees showed up as the Bombers fell to five games back instead of three that would have come with a win today.

Save for the inability to manage only three hits against last year’s Cy Young winner, Rick Porcello, with two of them coming off the bat of Brett Gardner, the unofficial Yankees MVP this season; the Bombers went down to defeat with little or no drama by a score of 5-1 at Fenway Park.

There’s a hiccup in the pitching of Sonny Gray that could cause concern as the season move on. His ball moves so much with no predictability, extending his pitch count against any lineup that has the patience to wait him out.

Today, Gray threw 106 pitches in only five innings of work, an average of 21 pitches per inning, forcing Girardi to call on his bullpen again following two games of taxing innings. That scenario does not bode well as the season moves along.

And even though it’s not Gray’s fault his pitches drop in and out of the strike zone so fierce-fully, his overall contribution to the team is being mitigated by this circumstance.

We probably won’t know what this team is made of until we reach the Playoffs in October. But in the meantime, the team needs to set on a run that proves to themselves (at least) they are capable of doing so.

Still, in his five innings of work, Gray surrendered only two runs that should have given the Yankees a chance to win, if only their offense had shown up. Only two Yankees in their lineup had a hit today, and only Gardner could produce a run with a solo shot, giving him twenty for the season.

And yes, in case you are wondering, Aaron Judge did extend his major league record for most consecutive games with a strikeout, now at 39 and counting.

Like, really?

As if that should make a difference, though.

The Yankees, over the 2017 season, don’t seem to have that “put away” finishing power in games that can put them one step ahead of all the others. They came back nicely last night following Friday’s nail-biting loss but lost a battle today in a war for a Division title, though they are still bound to make the Playoffs.

The scenario reminds of the fact the team wasn’t supposed to be where they are today. But still, these opportunities cannot be taken for granted. Just ask Derek Jeter, who waited eight seasons between his fourth and fifth Championship Title.

With the Yankees farm teams all holding first place in their respective leagues, there is a reason to believe in the future which holds the promise of Championships to come. But that is tomorrow, not today.

More from Yanks Go Yard

There’s no reason for me or anyone to chastise the Yankees because they lost a critical game today. It’s one game on the schedule with 35 or so more to go. But it is an indication that the team has more work to do if they are imagining reaching the heights of teams like the Dodgers, the Nationals, and yes, even the Red Sox.

Girardi put it all together in his post game interview (video) with the YES Network.

Looking Ahead

The team gets one more crack at the Sox in a four-game series in early September at Yankee Stadium. To hype it up would be foolish because the only thing the Yankees need to do is to keep winning.

They get their first chance to do that following a day off tomorrow against the very beatable Detroit Tigers, who could be their next patsy in the mold of the Mets, who the Yankees crushed with four wins last week.

Next: Hal Steinbrenner yaps with no credibility

Because in the Playoffs, that is all that’s needed.

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