Game 130 Wrap-Up: TOR 8 NYY 5

(That pretty much sums it up.  Courtesy of Getty Images)

As we vented our current frustrations with the Yankees on our TYA email chain yesterday, I tried to sum it up by saying it's one thing to lose a game, it's another thing to lose a close game, and it's a completely different thing altogether to continue to lose close games because you're playing the same brand of bad baseball.  That last thing describes this current Yankee slump and pretty much every other bad stretch of ball they've had this season.  When they lose, it's usually defined by failure to advance runners and consistently drive in guys with RISP, sloppy play in the field, inability to finish off opposing hitters and innings, and bad relief pitching.  It was all on display yesterday, and it was downright ugly.

Game Notes:

- The Yanks didn't waste any time jumping on Jays' starter J.A. Happ, with table setters Derek Jeter and Nick Swisher doing what they've been doing for the last 2-3 weeks and scoring on an Andruw Jones single and Curtis Granderson groundout for a 2-0 lead after 1.

- CC Sabathia was sharp to start, but gave up 3 unearned runs in the top of the 3rd that was equal parts shitty defense, crazy good BABIP luck, and failure on Carsten's part to pick up his D and put guys away with 2 strikes and 2 outs in the inning.

- He was picked right back up in the bottom half, thanks to some positive BABIP luck for the Yanks.  With 2 runners on (walks), Granderson lined a ball into left that Rajai Davis misplayed into a 2-run double and the Yanks were back on top 4-3.  It was curtains from here on out.

- Sabathia left a slider up just enough for Yunel Escobar to crush it for a HR in the 6th to put Toronto back on top 5-4.  In the 3rd and 6th innings, Sabathia gave up all 5 of his runs (2 earned) and all 9 of his hits.

- There were plenty of chances for the offense to respond, in fact they put runners on base all day.  But 3-17 with RISP ain't gonna get it done, nor is coming away with 0 runs in a bases loaded, 1 out situation like they did in the 4th.

- Behind CC, 5 middle relievers combined to give up 3 R ( 2 ER) on 3 H and 2 BB in just 2 innings.  More poor defense helped (the Yankees had 3 fielding errors on the night), but this group is just pathetic right now.

- It wasn't a horrible outing by CC (see above), with 8 Ks and 0 BB, but his failure to get a final out in the 3rd and HR in the 6th were enough to help the team lose.  The Yankees needed a full shutdown outing, not just 5 innings.

F*ck Yeahs:

- C-Grand: 1-4, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 2 LOB.  Responsible for the biggest run-scoring hit of the day, and he managed to not strike out once in 5 plate appearances.

/grasps at straws

Oh Nos:

- Robinson Cano: 1-5, 1 2B, 3 K, 6 LOB.  2 stinkers in a row and this one was really bad.  To not come through with the bases loaded in the 4th was bad, and the 3-pitch strikeout in the bottom of the 9th was pathetic.

- Jones: 1-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 LOB.  Got off to a good start in the 1st, but was absolute ass after that.  His other at-bats weren't productive, he still isn't hitting lefties at all, and somehow he's devolved into a horrible outfielder.  Just a shell of himself.  There's no reason he should be on the field right now, let alone the active roster.

Next Up:

It doesn't get any easier for the Yankees, and now the pressure gets dialed up even more as the teams chasing them are up next on the schedule, starting with the Orioles this weekend.  The one good thing is that the Yankees have an off day before that series, and I really hope they use it for something productive because they are a tired, beaten down, sad-looking baseball club right now.