Rotten Answer for Yankees

Last night, coming off a series split with the Tampa Bay Rays that felt more like getting swept (and was a couple of key hits away from being just that), the Yankees began their 1st series of the year with the Boston Red Sox. The Auld Enemy. The Scum.

The Yankees had won their last 11 home games against them. In those games, they averaged 6.9 runs, including 2.2 home runs; batted .298, and had an ERA of 2.82.

But, last night, the Sox were starting Nathan Eovaldi, whom Yankee general manager Brian Cashman gave up on way too soon, and pitched the clinching game of the 2018 American League Division Series that knocked us out of the Playoffs.

The starting pitcher for the Yankees against him? It couldn't be Corey Kluber or Luis Severino, both still injured. So it was Michael King. As Gene Rayburn used to say when he was hosting Match Game, that's a rotten answer.

How rotten was it? To begin the game, King allowed 2 singles and a 3-run home run by Rafael Devers. 3-0. The game was essentially over before the Yankees even came to bat.

Not that they didn't try. DJ LeMahieu and Giancarlo Stanton led off the Yankee half of the 1st with back-to-back-singles. But Aaron Judge grounded into a double play, killing the rally. The Yankees didn't get another baserunner until the 4th, when Judge singled with 1 out and Gleyber Torres singled with 2 out, but Rougned Odor popped up.

The Red Sox scored 2 more runs in the top of the 6th. LeMahieu led off the bottom of that inning with a single, but Stanton grounded into a double play. Then Judge hit a home run. If Stanton had struck out, or beaten out the throw to 1st, that would have been 2 runs instead of 1. Judge's homer was followed by back-to-back singles by Gio Urshela and Torres, and Odor reached on an error, scoring Urshela. That left 1st and 3rd with 2 out, but Clint Frazier just got under it, and flew out to center.

That was it. Over the last 3 innings, the Yankees got a walk by Stanton, a popup, and 8 strikeouts. They fanned 15 times over the course of the game. That's 15 strikeouts and 2 double plays. The Yankees lead MLB in grounding into double plays.

Red Sox 5, Yankees 2. WP: Eovaldi (7-2). SV: Matt Barnes (13). LP: King (0-3).

This game gave "disgraceful" a bad name. This whole game was a rotten answer.

The series continues tonight. Jameson Taillon starts for the Yankees, so don't get your hopes up. Eduardo Rodriguez starts for The Scum.