And Then There Was One

Saturday seems so long ago. On Saturday, the Yankees got a gift from the Baltimore Orioles. A victory they never should have had. It was a win that the Yankees and their faithful hoped would kick start them towards better baseball. It wasn't to be.

Sunday's 8-3 loss was like returning a gift for some piece of schlock. A game they could have won had Phil Hughes not given up two mammoth home runs to the Orioles' Mark Reynolds. The second of which he never should have been in the game to give up.  The blast turned a 3-2 Yankees lead into a 5-3 deficit.

Joe Girardi must be in hog heaven right now. With the rosters expanded, the man with the binder can mix and match to his heart's content. But he failed to pull the trigger in time on Saturday and let Hughes face Reynolds. The Orioles first baseman had already hit a ball 9,000 ft earlier in the game (that's not a typo, it really was that far).  And then the bullpen, led by the consistently horrid Joba Chamberlain poured gasoline all over the burning fire. The Yankees lead had shrunk to two games ahead of Baltimore and three and one-half ahead of Tampa Bay.

After the game the Yankees jetted down to west Florida for a big three game series with the Rays before they  head back north for four games in Camden Yards with the Orioles.  Monday's Labor Day match up had CC Sabathia going up against James Shields.

The Yankees generally don't play well in the Warehouse that Ugliness Built, and CC Sabathia had won just three games (five losses, five no-decisions) in his 13 starts at the Trop entering today's contest. Shields entered play just 6-13, 4.58 in 24 career starts against the Yankees. But considering the Yankees have been unable to hit unproven rookies, over the hill veterans, and everything in between, you knew that they would probably would have a tough time with a quality starter like Shields.

The theory proved out as Shields allowed just five hits over eight innings and the Rays scored in the bottom of the 8th for a 4-3 victory to move with in 2.5 of the Yankees. In doing so, they also helped out the Orioles, who are now just one game back of the Yankees for the AL East lead after a win over Toronto.

The once reliable, fairly rested Yankees bullpen is now the overworked and an inconsistent horror show. David Robertson, who has not been quite right since returning from the DL on June 14, took the loss after he gave up three hits in one inning of work.

The Rays like to run and usually steal at will when facing New York. Jeff Keppinger led of the home half of the 8th with a single, but pinch-runner Rich Thompson was thrown out trying to steal second base by Russell Martin.  After Roberterson retired Ben Francisco for the second out, Ryan Roberts safely reached first base with a single and promptly stole the Rays' third base in four attempts on the day.

Light-hitting Chris Giminez entered the game with a .203 batting average, but singled home Roberts with the go ahead run. The Yankees had a chance in the 9th when Eric Chavez reached on a one out error and pinch-runner Eduardo Nunez stole second. But Raul Ibanez grounded out and closer Fernando Rodney (41 saves) struck out pinch-hitter Curtis Granderson with the tying run stranded 90 ft. from home plate.

Notes

Alex Rodriguez returned to the lineup for the first time since he broke his wrist on July 25. He DH'ed and went 1-4 with a bloop single and a run scored.

Giminez had singled in a run earlier in the day against Sabathia, who also allowed a solo home run to B.J. Upton that gave the Rays an early 2-0 lead. The Yankees scored three times in the 4th inning and took the lead when Russell Martin slid head first into first base to beat the throw. It was an up and down day for the Yankees catcher, who was 2-3 with an RBI and stole a base, but was able to just throw out one would-be base stealer (of course much of that was the fault of Sabathia and Robertson).