Wednesday, July 9, 2014

2014 Yankee Nightmare Scenario: Tanaka Hurt

Yesterday, I mocked the Cleveland Indians' chances of beating Masahiro Tanaka.

This morning, I began to worry that he might be a flash in the pan. He's gone from 11-1 to 12-4.

Tonight, I find out he's gone on the 15-Day Disabled List.

Oh no.

And you thought Brazil's hosting of the World Cup was a nightmare. (They lost their Semifinal 7-1 to Germany, on home soil, and now their arch-rivals, Argentina, have won the other Semifinal. The Krauts & the Argies play on Sunday at 3:00 New York time.)

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Things started off well last night. A walk by Brett Gardner, and singles by Jacoby Ellsbury and Mark Teixeira, gave the Yankees a 2-0 lead. Then a bad throw from Indians catcher Yan Gomes, trying to stop a double steal, allowed Ellsbury to score. to make it 2-0.

The Indians got a run in the bottom of the inning, but the Yankees got it right back, with Ichiro Suzuki scoring on a Gardner groundout. 3-1.

That was it for the Yankees. Tanaka was fine until the bottom of the 5th, when he allowed a run to make it 3-2. Then Lonnie Chisenhall led off the 6th with a hit, and, for the 2nd night in a row, our old pal Nick Swisher hit a home run. The night before, it didn't matter much. This time it did, giving the Tribe a 4-3 lead.

They eventually made it 5-3. WP: Trevor Bauer (3-4). SV: Cody Allen (10). LP: Tanaka (12-4).

Look, if you had told me before the season that, at the All-Star Break, Tanaka would be 12-4 and would make the All-Star Team, I would have gladly taken it.

But he's hurt. Indeed, 4 of the Yanks' 5 planned starters are injured right now. Essentially, the rotation is this:

1. Hiroki Kuroda
2. David Phelps
3. Chase Whitley
4. Brandon McCarthy
5. Shane Greene

That's in order of Yankee seniority.

If this season were a Beatles song, it's just gone from "A Hard Day's Night" to "Help!"

The series continues tonight, with McCarthy making his Yankee debut on the mound, against Josh Tomlin.

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