" Seems Like Old Times....."

So I settle back into my bark-a lounger and dial up the Yankee game.

At first I thought;  " This is great.  An olde fashioned pitchers' duel.  Tension on every pitch.  No margin for error on defense."

Then, I realized something else;  this Yankee team cannot hit and, by definition, cannot hit when it matters ( in the clutch for those new to baseball).

We surged ahead in the bottom of the 5th, to lead 2-1.  I didn't actually notice how we scored that run.  Nonetheless, as I poured another re-fill from my pitcher of, "Crown Royal  manhattans," it hit me;

"The 2 Run Limit."

 The Yankees had already reached it and, unless we could pitch shut-out baseball through the 9th, we were going to lose.  We don't ever win at home when we go into extra innings.  Because, due to baseball folklore ( and who does the predictable thing more often than Girardi?), we will have used both Betances and Miller to keep the game tied for us, so we could walk-it-off in the bottom of the 9th.

Only thing is, we never win in that scenario.  Maybe if it is 12-12.  But not if it is 2-2, and the Yankees haven't threatened for 2 hours.

So I watched pointlessly as the zeros mounted.  I think the Yankees always went out 1-2-3.  Maybe I missed one inning when a Yankee reached base.  But nothing happened.  Not a damn thing.  My adrenaline never once wiggled ( until I noticed the manhattan pitcher was on empty ).  There was not a second of positive expectation for the Yankees.

Didi made two great defensive plays.  I remember them.

Next thing I know, the 2-2 tie proceeds as I surmised, and now we are into the 10th and 11th, with the Scranton no names, replacing our real relievers.

Game over.

It is so inevitable.  And so draining.

My anticipation for watching a Yankee game is like looking forward to dusting the attic.

 A-Rod added to his statistical collection ( a hit, an rbi ).  What else matters?

I wonder how Mason Williams is doing?