Another "Worst Loss of the Season" for the Yankees

The Yankees will finish the season 11-8 against the Baltimore Orioles. The Tampa Bay Rays, 18-1. That is not the entirety of the difference between them in the standings, but it's most of it.

You've got to take care of business in your own backyard, because of you can't handle the teams, especially the worst team, in your own Division, you don't deserve to make the Playoffs.

It used to be that Camden Yards was a great place for the Yankees' ailing bats to get well. But in this series, they didn't. They didn't quite pay the price on Wednesday night, but they sure did last night. On Wednesday, Brett Gardner singled to lead off the top of the 3rd, and Gio Urshela hit a home run. But those 2 runs were all the Yankees would get over the 1st 8.

Nestor Cortes pitched great for 5 innings, before allowing a run in the 6th, and being taken out in the 7th. That's when Chad Green was brought in, and he blew the lead in the 8th.

Then came the 9th inning. It was the kind of series of screwy events that tends to happen to the Yankees, but, this time, it happened in their favor. Cliche Alert: Walks can kill you, or save you, especially the leadoff variety. And Luke Voit drew such a leadoff walk. Tyler Wade was sent in to pinch-run for him. Gleyber Torres singled. Gary Sanchez flied out. Wade stole 3rd, and Torres stole 2nd on the throw. And Gardner dunked a single into center field, to score both of them.

Aroldis Chapman went against cliche, and sent the O's down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 9th. Yankees 4, Orioles 3. WP: Wandy Peralta (5-3). SV: Chapman (27). LP: Tyler Wells (2-3).

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But last night, the Yankees had yet another "worst loss of the season." Brendan Kuty of The Star-Ledger tweeted: "This is about as bad as it gets for the Yankees, which is a tweet I feel like I've written at least 10 other times this season." He backtweeted this, so we know he previously said it on July 25, July 23, July 11, July 4, July 3, July 1, and June 28.

Once again Jordan Montgomery pitched very well with very little support. Over 6 innings, he allowed 1 run on 6 hits and 1 walk, with 12 strikeouts. But all they gave him came in the top of the 2nd: A home run by Joey Gallo, walks by Sanchez and Wade, and a double by Urshela.

It was 2-1 Yankees in the bottom of the 9th, and Clay Holmes couldn't hold it. He got a strikeout, but then allowed a single and uncorked a wild pitch. (Cliche Alert: Nothing except wine bottles and wild pitches ever gets uncorked.) He got a groundout, but then threw another wild pitch to tie the game, before getting another strikeout.

Most of #YankeesTwitter roasted Sanchez for not getting to those balls in time. They need to clean off their glasses, because both pitches were given as wild pitches by the official scorer, not passed balls. They were Holmes' fault, not Sanchez'.

The Yankees got nothing, even with the ghost runner, in the top of the 10th. In the bottom of the 10th, the Orioles were willing to do what the Yankees weren't: Bunt the ghost runner over to 3rd, and that made the difference as Austin Hays singled him home, just as Hays hit the home run in the 8th.

Orioles 3, Yankees 2. WP: Cole Sulser (5-4). No save. LP: Peralta (5-4).

The Yankees come home to face the Cleveland Indians, and I'm not sure what the point is. They might still win one of the American League Wild Card slots, but they're not going anywhere. That's 12 years without a Pennant. And Brian Cashman will keep his job. Why?