The Yankees went into a 4-game series away to the Oakland Athletics with an 11-game winning streak. Things haven't looked this good for the Yankees in the regular season since the last title season, in 2009.
Jameson Taillon started the Thursday night game, and he didn't have it. He allowed 5 runs and didn't get out of the 4th inning. The rest of the way, the bullpen did get it done: First Albert Abreu, then Clay Holmes, then Jonathan Loaisiga.
Part of the problem was that the Yankees blew a 6-0 lead. Giancarlo Stanton and Brett Gardner hit solo home runs in the 2nd inning. In the 3rd, Andrew Velazquez and Anthony Rizzo doubled, Aaron Judge walked, and Joey Gallo homered. That made it 6-0, but the A's came right back with 2 homers in the bottom of the 3rd, they scored 3 runs in the 4th, and tied it in the 5th.
With 2 out in the top of the 9th, Rizzo drew a walk. Tyler Wade was sent in to pinch-run for him. He stole 2nd. Judge singled him home.
Aaron Boone put Aroldis Chapman in to pitch the bottom of the 9th. He got the 1st 2 outs, and we were calm. Then he allowed a single and a stolen base, and, oh, boy, here we go again. But he got a groundout to end it. Yankees 7, A's 6. WP: Loaisiga (9-4). SV: Chapman (24). LP: Lou Trivino (5-7, not to be confused with golf legend Lee Trevino). That's 12 in a row.
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Gerrit Cole started on Friday night, and was great, again. He allowed no runs on 6 hits and 2 walks, striking out 9. The game was scoreless going into the top of the 4th, in which Stanton and Luke Voit hit solo homers. Judge hit a 3-run blast in the 5th.
The A's pulled 2 runs back in the bottom of the 7th, but the Yankees added 3 in the top of the 9th, including a 2-run homer by Kyle Higashioka.
Yankees 8, A's 2. WP: Cole (13-6). No save. LP: Sean Manaea (8-9). That was 13 straight, the longest Yankee winning streak since the 1961 season, the year of Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris and all those home runs.
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Nestor Cortes started the Saturday afternoon game, but was a bit shaky, allowing 3 runs in 5 1/3rd innings. One of the runs Cortes allowed was a home run by Matt Chapman in the 4th. I guess, for the Yankees, 2021 is the year that guys named Chapman are going to be a problem.
Albert Abreu finished the 6th and pitched the 7th, and Lucas Luetge pitched the 8th, without allowing any more runs. But they didn't score until the 9th. With 1 out, Rizzo singled, and Judge hit another homer. But Stanton popped up and Gallo grounded out to end it. A's 3, Yankees 2. WP: Frankie Montas (10-9). SV: Andrew Chafin (20). LP: Cortes (2-2).
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The Sunday night game was started by Jordan Montgomery. He went 6 innings, allowing 1 run on 6 hits and no walks. Loaisiga added a scoreless 7th. That should have been enough to win.
It wasn't. Once again, the Yankees just didn't hit in a game started by Montgomery. They got the 1st 2 men on in the 1st; a man on 1st with 2 out in the 3rd, the 5th and the 6th; and the leadoff man on in the 3rd and the 4th; and had nothing to show for it.
They tied the game in the 7th, with a walk, a wild pitch, and 2 errors. But Chad Green gave up a home run in the 8th. A's 3, Yankees 1. WP: Deolis Guerra (2-1). SV: Chafin (2). LP: Green (7-6).
So in the 4 games, the Yankees won when they scored at least 7, and lost when they didn't. Or, they won when they scored at least 3, and lost when they didn't.
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After winning 13 straight, and 34 out of 45, the Yankees have now lost 2 straight. And my weeks-to-games-behind rule no longer favors them: Although the Yankees are 76-54, and would host the American League Wild Card Game if the current standings hold, they are 6 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the AL Eastern Division lead.
Someone on Twitter said, "The Yankees finally letting the reigns off Giancarlo Stanton and letting him play the outfield is the best thing to happen to this team."
No, the best thing to happen to the Yankees is Brian Cashman realizing he plays more games at Yankee Stadium with a short right field porch than he does in Boston and Houston with the close left field fence, and getting some lefty power.
But the last 2 games, they looked like the Yankees who fell to 41-41.
They continue their roadtrip in Anaheim tonight, against the Los Angeles Angels.
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