Good Pitching Will Beat Good Hitting, Except When It Doesn't

This past Thursday, the Yankees began a home series against the Detroit Tigers. J.A. Happ started, but couldn't get out of the 5th inning. The 1st batter of the game was Jeimer Candelario, and Happ served him up a home run.

It was still 1-0 in the bottom of the 3rd, when Giancarlo Stanton tied the game with a home run. The teams traded homers in the 4th, Ronny Rodriguez for us, Gleyber Torres for them. But a Victor Martinez homer in the top of the 5th made it 5-4 Tigers, and Happ was done.

But a Detroit throwing error allowed the Yankees to tie the game in the bottom of the 5th, and a double by Stanton and a home run by Luke Voit, in the 7th, gave the Yankees a 7-5 lead.

Chad Green had gotten the Yankees through the 6th. Did Aaron Boone leave him in for the 7th? No, he brought David Robertson in. Robertson got through it 1-2-3. Did Boone leave him in for the 8th? No, he brought Zach Britton in. Britton pitched a scoreless inning. Did Boone leave him in for the 9th? No, he brought Dellin Betances in.

Three times, Boone had the chance to leave a pitcher who was pitching effectively in to continue pitching effectively. Three times, he pulled a stupid movie right out of Joe Girardi's binder. The 1st 2 times, it didn't hurt the Yankees.

The 3rd time, it did. Betances struck out the side, fanning Mikie Mahtook, Rodriguez and McCann. Unfortunately, between Mahtook and Rodriguez, he walked Nick Castellanos (Cliche Alert: Walks can kill you), and gave up home runs to Martinez and Niko Goodrum. The Yankees went down quietly in the bottom of the 9th.

Tigers 8, Yankees 7. WP: Alex Wilson (2-4). SV: Shane Greene (28). LP: Betances (4-4), although this one was clearly on Boone.

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Again on Friday night, the Yankees scored 7 runs. This time, it was enough.

Luis Severino started, and struck out 10 batters and walked none in 6 innings. But he also allowed 3 runs on 6 hits. But the Yankees bailed him out in the bottom of the 6th, with 3 home runs, hit by Brett Gardner, Aaron Hicks and Miguel Andujar. It was 4-3 Yankees.

But Jonathan Holder got in trouble in the 7th, and Britton allowed the tying run before getting out of it. Britton allowed another run in the 8th. 5-4 Tigers. Given the circumstances, Britton should not have gotten credit for the win if the Yankees were to come from behind to win.

Which they did, and he got credit for the win. Gardner led off the bottom of the 8th with a double. Stanton, in a clutch situation, struck out. Hicks drew a walk, but Andujar struck out. Voit drew a walk to keep it going. Torres singled Gardner and Hicks home. Neil Walker was walked intentionally, and Austin Romine singled Torres home.

Robertson got into a little trouble in the 9th, but didn't let the Tigers score. Yankees 7, Tigers 5. WP: Britton (2-0). SV: Robertson (5). LP: Joe Jimenez (4-4).

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Sometimes, you score 7 (or more) runs, and it's not enough. Sometimes, you score 2 (or even 1), and it is. On Saturday afternoon, Masahiro Tanaka pitched brilliantly for 7 innings, allowing just 1 run on 7 hits and 1 walk, with 6 strikeouts. Torres hit a home run, and Betances redeemed himself with a scoreless 9th. Yankees 2, Tigers 1. WP: Tanaka (10-5). SV: Betances (2). LP: Daniel Norris (0-3).

Like I said: Sometimes, you score 7 (or more) runs, and it's not enough. On Sunday afternoon, Lance Lynn had nothing. He didn't get out of the 4th inning, allowing 6 runs. Tommy Kahnle couldn't stop the bleeding, allowing a run.

Sonny Gray pitched decently in relief, allowing just 1 run in 4 innings. But Stephen Tarpley, a 25-year-old righthander from Los Angeles, wearing Number 71, made a mess of his major league debut, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks in the 9th. The Yankees were already losing 8-5, but he put a comeback out of reach.

Hicks and Voit homered, and there was a comeback attempt in the 9th. But without good pitching, 7 runs wasn't nearly enough. Tigers 11, Yankees 7. WP: Matthew Boyd (9-12). No save. LP: Lynn (8-10).

Yogi Berra supposedly once said, "Good pitching will beat good hitting, and vice versa." The Yankees scored 7 runs 3 times in the series, and won only 1 of those games; but scored just 2 in the other, and won it. Good pitching beats good hitting, except when it doesn't.

Yogi also supposedly once said, "In baseball, you don't know nothin'."

So the Yankees got only a split. Next up: A Western trip. Not entirely a Pacific Coast trip: Oakland, then Seattle, then Minnesota.