The Yankee Ostrich

Is it too much to ask that the Yankees be like an ostrich, and only lay a giant egg once a year?

Yesterday, the Yankees played (it sickens me to say this) the defending American League Champion Tampa Bay Rays in the latter team's home opener at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. For the 2nd straight game, Aaron Judge was held back as a precautionary measure.

Corey Kluber made his 2nd Yankee start, and had nothing. He got shelled like cheap peanuts. He didn't get out of the 3rd inning, although an error in the 2nd by DJ LeMahieu didn't help. The Yankees took a 4-2 lead in the top of the 3rd, thanks in part to Aaron Hicks hitting his 1st home run of the season. But Kluber's control totally failed him in the bottom of the 3rd, which ended 5-4 Rays.

Nick Nelson made Kluber look good by comparison. Here's what he allowed in the bottom of the 4th: Hit by pitch, walk, line-drive single to load the bases with nobody out, strikeout, 2-RBI double, 2-RBI single. And still, Aaron Boone didn't take him out. And then he struck out the next 2 batters. So he struck out the side, allowing 4 runs. That's some Nuke LaLoosh garbage right there. In 2 innings, the Yankees went from 4-2 up to 9-4 down.

Tampa Bay got another run in the 7th. LeMahieu hit his 1st home run of the season in the 8th, but that was as close as the Yankees would get, making the final score Rays 10, Yankees 5. WP: Rich Hill (1-0). No save. LP: Kluber (0-1). Attendance at the dumbest stadium in MLB: 9,021, or about half what the Rays usually get against teams other than the Yankees.

If the Yankees had a game like this in their system, it's good that they got it out early. But they are now 3-4. That is unacceptable.

Don't tell me it's only been 7 games. It hasn't been 7 games, it's been 12 years.

The series continues this afternoon. Domingo German starts against Chris Archer. Lord help me, this could be a long weekend.