I don't blame Brandon McCarthy (4-2 since coming to the Yankees). He got into the 7th inning, and allowed only 2 earned runs. But a pair of Yankee errors made him the losing pitcher. (Alex Cobb was the winner for the Rays, 8-6.)
I blame the hitters, and hitting instructor Kevin Long, who really must go. He's been holding the Yankees back, especially from early 2012 onward.
The Yankees went down 1-2-3 in the 1st and the 6th. They wasted leadoff singles by Mark Teixeira in the 2nd and the 7th, Stephen Drew in the 3rd, Derek Jeter in the 4th and Chase Headley in the 5th. Thanks to a wild pitch, Jeter actually reached 2nd with nobody out. It was only 2-0 Tampa at that point, and the Yankees were very much in the game.
The Yankees had the bases loaded with 1 out in the 8th, when it was 4-0 and a home run would have tied the game, and had Jacoby Ellsbury and then Teix coming up. But both of them struck out. And then they went down 1-2-3 in the 9th.
Rays 5, Yankees 0. Do I credit the opposition here? No, because it isn't any good anymore. The Rays have had to struggle to get back to .500. (Soon, the Yankees will, too -- from the other direction!)
So who's to blame? Joe Girardi? Kevin Long? Larry Rothschild? Brian Cashman? Hal Steinbrenner? Hank Steinbrenner?
Something must be done. This is unacceptable.
The series continues today, a 4:10 PM start for the Fox Game of the Week broadcast. Shane Greene starts against Drew Smyly.
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