Maybe It's All Part of the Plan

Maybe it's all part of the plan. Play the games where you just don't get enough hits and just don't score enough runs now, in August, when you've got a big lead in the Division, so it doesn't hurt much, so you don't have them during the Playoffs in October. Get the bad games out of your system.

Does Brian Cashman look like a guy with a plan? No, he looks like a two-faced joker. But the Yankee bat-men aren't answering the bat-signal.

Even Aaron Judge isn't looking so super.

The Yankees started a homestand last night, against the Tampa Bay Rays, and continued to look pathetic. Don't blame Gerrit Cole: He allowed only 1 run over 6 innings. He pitched like an ace.

But when you hit so poorly that a starting pitcher for the other team goes from 0-7 to 1-7, then you have to change something. The Yankees did change something. Gleyber Torres, who was 0-for-his-last-22, was put in the leadoff position. This would not seem like a good plan, but it worked, as he got two hits. In the bottom of the 1st inning, Torres singled, and Anthony Rizzo doubled. But, in between, Judge grounded into a double play. Afterward, Josh Donaldson struck out, again.

In the 2nd inning, Jose Trevino singled, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa was hit with a pitch. Then Aaron Hicks struck out, again, to end the inning.

Judge singled in the 3rd, but, otherwise, Ryan Yarbrough struck out the side. In the 4th, Hicks deepened the ire of Yankee Fans. In the top half, he displayed a fly ball that led to the Rays' 1st run. In the bottom half, Miguel Andújar and IKF singled, but Hicks grounded into a double play.

The Yankees didn't have another base runner until the 8th, when, again, Torres led off with a single, and Judge grounded into a double play. In the 9th, what was still a game within reach fell apart due to the bullpen. Wandy Peralta blew it again, walking 2 batters, leading to Lou Trivino allowing 2 singles and a hit batsman, deepening the hole. Donaldson walked to lead off the bottom of the 9th, but, unlike the top half, there would be no Cliché Alert, as the Yankees went down meekly.

Rays 4, Yankees 0. WP: Yarbrough (1-7). No save. LP: Cole (9-5).

That's back-to-back shutout losses, and 21 losses in our last 31 games. That wasn't part of the plan, but it is a result of the plan.

The series continues tonight. Nestor Cortes starts against Jeffrey Springs. Let's see if things go according to plan.