To go 42 games without one loss requires a solid fastball, a great spliter - and teammates who occasionally rescue you from a bum night. The Cubs - worst team in the majors, if you're looking at records - beat the Yankees 6-1.
The Yankees failed Tanaka.
The record shows he gave up four runs in six innings, his worst outing in America. Four runs. That's not an insurmountable lead. And six runs is hardly Mount Everest. But it didn't matter. The Yankees scored one run. Unless Tanaka threw a shutout, that streak was doomed.
The Yankees failed Tanaka.
We are watching fissures break out on every phase of this team. Where we once saw strength - the rotation, the outfield, the bullpen, even catcher - we now massive holes. The AL East looks like a race among rusted, crippled barges, with Boston and New York listing horribly. Imagine a division so weak that even Toronto could win it.
But coming into the city of Mayor Daley and Barack Obama - a town that since 1968 has served as a Republican code word for crime, lawlessness and race - the Yankees maintained one golden point of pride. We had a pitcher who hadn't lost in 42 straight outings.
And we didn't support him through a tough night.
Four runs.
The Yankees failed Tanaka.
Sad but true. They certainly did.
ReplyDeleteLast night, Aceves lost the game after a heroic outing by Phelps. 2 runs is not insurmountable, but the third that Aceves gave up was, it turns out.
An unfair L for Mr. Phelps. The Impossible Mission Team let him down.
Have to hand it to Phelps last night. He came through in fine form and ate the innings we needed. Just our luck to catch Sale coming off the DL.
ReplyDelete