Now We Know

 ...Nothing Has Changed.

For the first (9) games of the season, we hit well and pitched well ( usually ) and sported a 6-3 record.  We felt like things were moving.  Volpe and Cabrera were exciting. 

Yesterday, we returned to the Yankee normal.

1.  We scored early, but failed to " blow the game open" ( could have had 4 runs with one clutch hit ).

2.  We hit zero HRs, which meant we could only score the 2 runs. We never scored again. 

3.  We failed at the big moment. ( "Gift" triple with no outs and we cannot advance the runner ).  That ended the game, right there. 

4.  The line-up featured four real players:

Torres - still red hot

Judge - MVP

Rizzo - quality ballplayer

Stanton - streaky but currently hot

Everyone else is basically a warm body who threatens no one.   A few have had the occasional good game, but yesterday, they were " flaky and the four toads."  No one in the bottom of that line-up is dependable or clutch.  Not a single  " big moment" player in the bunch.  

6.  Starting pitching gave little length.  Worn out bullpen made one mistake.  But when the Yankees are in their " get 2 runs early and go home" mode, one mistake is deadly.

This is mostly what we saw in the second half of last season, after our jaw dropping start.  

This year, Tampa is having the jaw dropping start.  

This was the loss that told the team, " you aren't going anywhere."  

LINEUP FOR TONIGHT: