Yankees lose at buzzer thanks to Justin Wilson and blown strike 3 call

Let’s get things straight: the Yankees offense is indefensible. They lost Friday’s game in Detroit — In Detroit! Started by Gerrit Cole! You can’t lose that! — 3-2 in 10 innings for many reasons, most of which had to do with the 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position, accentuated by the completely non-competitive at-bat Giancarlo Stanton put up in the ninth.

It’s true. There were tons of opportunities to score. Nearly no runs were scored, save for a Rougned Odor home run off an excellent Casey Mize and the Ghost Runner in the 10th (Aaron Judge) scoring on an absolute gift wild pitch.

The Yankees lost this game 100 times over. It can’t be said enough.

But — BUT — after all that, Justin Wilson froze Robbie Grossman with a 2-2 pitch placed perfectly on the outside corner, which was not called.

The 3-2 pitch was sent well over the left-field wall, creating the most hideous, mind-numbing loss of the season instead of the most hideous, mind-numbing win of the season.

No words.

The Yankees lost on an awful call and an awful pitch from Justin Wilson vs the Tigers.

Most of you are likely the same way I am. When the Yankees are leading, you envision nightmares. When the Yankees are losing, you write the post-mortem long before the final out has been recorded.

Even if you’re an eternal optimist, though, you surely felt the strongest possible pangs of terror when that call wasn’t made. You might’ve masked it with some playful joking or a guffaw, but you certainly felt there was a good chance this team was now doomed.

On the very next pitch, Robbie Grossman put us out of our misery, sending us to a Saturday game in Detroit where Deivi Garcia will face Spencer Turnbull, a mismatch we should lose. The bullpen is shot. In one fell swoop, we have let a series in Detroit — DETROIT — get away from us.

Don’t let anyone tell you rooting for this team is easy. The pain was distilled today, but the pain is always there.

Justin Wilson, who’s shown no indication he’s a major-leaguer in 2021, should not have been in the game. It would’ve taken a miracle to save the Ghost Runner — a miracle he executed, and was robbed of by the man behind the plate. Then he let up, and became Justin Wilson once again. Clarence clipped his wings with ball three.

Did Aaron Boone consider using a “sick” Aroldis Chapman for a second inning after getting through the ninth on 14 pitches? No.

To be perfectly fair, Chapman looked awful in that inning. He walked Jonathan Schoop. He watched Akil Baddoo get picked off before whiffing Nomar Mazara on a 3-2 pitch.

Like we said, miracles.

One strike away. One strike taken away. Wilson is the problem. The offense is the problem. But, at the same time, they had it, and the umpires wouldn’t let ’em go home.

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