The fading, struggling, scuffling – pick your adjective – Yankees lost the series at Fenway instead of grabbing the head-to-head opportunity to gain ground. Saturday night was a lift, edging out the Red Sox with a solid starting performance from CC just back from the DL, a Chapman-less pen made of a fired up D-Rob and Betances and clutch hitting. But Friday night and yesterday’s games were a huge letdown.
Where oh where is Judge? All those strikeouts are killing us and yet Girardi, the most stubborn guy ever, won’t drop him out of the third slot in the lineup. Gary Sanchez allowed two passed balls on Saturday night but his spectacular throw to second on the steal attempt redeemed him, and he’s been great on offense. Didi is so clutch and steady. Torreyes is too. But none of it is enough if you can’t beat the team in front of you. As Jeter always said, “You have to win games.” Speaking of the Captain, very happy for him and his wife about their baby girl, Bella Raines Jeter. Also happy he’s about to seal the deal on buying the Marlins. I’ve had so many comments from Yankee fans on Facebook who are pissed off that he’s not buying the Yankees. Here’s a bulletin for them: the Yankees were not for sale. I really don’t understand people who think it’s traitorous for him to own a team other than the Yankees. The man’s stated goal after retirement was to own a team, period. Let him live his dream, for God’s sake.
Back to basics, if the Yanks want to hang on to any Wild Card hopes, they need to start winning series again starting tonight in Detroit. There are lots of teams bunched up in the standings right behind them. No time for letting them jump ahead.