Game 83 Wrap-Up: TB 6 NYY 3

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

The Yankees can't hit, the Yankees can't pitch, the Yankees can't field.  They stink and today made it official.  5th straight loss, the first time this season a losing streak has made it that high, that dropped them below .500 this late into a season for the first time since 2007.  They've lost 9 out of their last 11 and there's no end to this nosedive in sight with Teix's knee giving him problems and Jacoby Ellsbury having to take games off because he's so "beat up" or something.  Welcome to The Suck.

Game Notes:

- Brett Gardner was the best player in a Yankee uniform in June and he kept that momentum going with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the 1st.  Jake Odorizzi threw him a ton of fastballs and Gardner squared one up in a 3-2 count.

- Vidal Nuno looked pretty good in the first 2 innings and then he went walk-passed ball-HBP with 2 outs in the 3rd to let the tying run come home and he was never the same pitcher.  Every time the Yanks got him a lead, he'd give it right back.

- Like in the 3rd, when Brian McCann yanked a cheapie home run down the right field line to make it 2-1 New York and Nuno gave it back on a double and ribbie single the next inning.  Or when Gardner drove home a run in the bottom of the 4th and Nuno gave it back on a single-double-single to 3 straight batters.

- The death blow came in the top of the 6th, when Logan Forsythe singled to lead off the frame and Joe pulled Nuno for Shawn Kelley.  Kelley gave up a 2-run home run to #2 Yankee killer (behind Napoli) Sean Rodriguez on the third pitch he threw to put Tampa up for good 5-3.

- The Yanks would strand a runner in every inning after except the bottom of the 9th.  They went down in order then with a strikeout by Gardner, strikeout by Derek Jeter, and a lineout by McCann.


F*ck Yeahs:

- Gardner: 3-5, 1 HR, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 K.  Also had an outfield assist nailing Ben Zobrist at the plate.  If the Yankees had 2 more Brett Gardners, they'd be a competent ballclub.

- McCann: 2-4, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB.  On base 3 times and didn't leave any men on.  Who knew all he needed was to be moved up to the 3rd spot in the batting order?

Oh Nos:

- Everybody Else: The rest of the lineup was a combined 5-28 with 1 XBH, 9 K, and 9 LOB, Nuno was about as effective as you could expect him to be at this point, Kelley was a fucking disaster, and David Huff is David Huff.  This team stinks.

Next Up:

The Yanks head to Minnesota for a 4-game 4th of July weekender against the Twinkies.  Masahiro Tanaka and Phil Hughes are scheduled to open the series tonight and I guarantee Hughes throws a complete game shutout.