Insufficient Hitting Again, But Is Tanaka On the Way Back?

The optimism that came from winning 7 of the 1st 8 after the All-Star Break has been vaporized. It's almost as if someone took a bat to it and hit it -- which is what the Yankees need to start doing to some pitched baseballs!

Chris Capuano made his 2nd Yankee start, and holding the Red Sox, even these Red Sox, to 4 runs over 6 innings and change at Fenway isn't terrible. (1-2).

But Anthony Raynaudo, the stereotypical "pitcher the Yankees have never seen before," made his major-league debut as the Boston starter, and over 6 innings allowed just 2 runs on 4 hits, for his 1st major league win (1-0). Let's hope it's his last against the Yankees.

Carlos Beltran hit his 13th home run of the season off Raynaudo. In the 8th inning, Derek Jeter hit his 3rd off Junichi Tazawa, and got a nice hand from the Sox fans. (Yeah, you better, especially now that he's got more hits than Carl Yastrzemski -- more than any living human except Pete Rose and Hank Aaron.)

But that was pretty much it, and Kohi Uehara closed it out for his 22nd save. Red Sox 4, Yankees 3.

Phooey.

Oh yeah: One of the few recognizable names on either side, aside from Jeter's, David Ortiz, drove in the 1st Boston run with a hit.

Still, the Yankees won't plunk him. Not even a soft landing in the fat-swaddled ribs.

Billy Martin demands an explanation for this bullshit.

I demand an explanation for the insufficient hitting. Do we blame Joe Giardi? Kevin Long? Brian Cashman? Randy Levine? Lonn Trost? Hal Steinbrenner? Hank Steinbrenner?

It's Fenway Park! You're supposed to score a shitload of runs!

Hopefully, they will today. The series continues at 4:05 PM on Fox Yankee-Haters' Channel. Shane Greene starts against Allen Webster.

*

Good Sign: Masahiro Tanaka is feeling better, according to Girardi:

"When we get home we'll see what the doctors say and what the next plan is for him, but I know he feels much, much better," Girardi said to Chad Jennings yesterday.

If this is true, then the overly optimistic "6 weeks" diagnosis may have been on the mark, and he could be back in 2 weeks.

If so, a Playoff berth, even the AL East title, is still very possible.