Yankees Again Gutless Wonders, Lose In Detroit

Yesterday, I wrote of the preceding night's game, "When an opponent is willing to give you the game, never, ever give it back. The problem was, the Yankees had already given the game back, and we just didn't know it."

Yesterday afternoon, in the middle game if a series away to the Detroit Tigers, the Yankees never really had the game to give back.

Rookie Deivi Garcia started in the rotation slot of the injured Corey Kluber. He's still only 23. He's still not ready to face major league pitching. He only pitched 4 1/3rd innings, allowing 5 runs (4 of them earned) on 5 huts and 1 walk, with 2 strikeouts.

Spencer Turnbull, who pitched a no-hitter 2 starts earlier, only got into the 6th inning, allowing 3 hits. But those would be the only 3 hits the Yankees would get.

Gleyber Torrrs led off the top of the 2nd inning with a walk. This one would not invoke any cliches, though. Gary Sanchez singled, and Mike Ford drew a walk to load the bases with nobody out.

And then, Brian Cashman's gutless wonders blew it. Miguel Andujar grounded to short, resulting in a double play, with Torres scoring.

Clint Frazier walked to re-load the bases. And then Brett Gardner grounded into a force play, to end an inning where the Yankees loaded the bases twice, once with nobody out, and got the gift of 3 walks, but scored only 1 run.

And that would be the only scoring the Yankees would do all day. Four Tiger relievers went 3 1/3 innings, allowing just 1 baserunner, a wall. Overall, the Yankees struck out 12 times, and it seemed like more than that.

Tigers 6, Yankees 1. WP: Turnbull (4-2). No save. LP: Garcia (0-2).

On Twitter, a woman named Samantha (I don't have her last name) wrote, "From BronxBombers to The Interstate Imposters #Yankees"

Metropolitan Miquetoasts? Tri-State Tankers?

My 2017-present nickname "Gutless Wonders," though not alliterative, will do just fine. The performance that earned that nickname once again will not. 

This series, wholly embarrassing so far, concludes this afternoon. Michael King, like Garcia not yet (and, also like Garcia, perhaps not ever) good enough to face major league pitching, starts for the Yankees. Tarik Skubal starts for the Tigers.