Strikeouts are threatening to kill the Yankee buzz

Yesterday, the victorious Evil Empire cut its strikeout total down to eight. 

Yep, only eight - down from 10 on Friday, in part because - get this - Chris Carter put the ball in play twice and did not contribute a single swisheroo. Instead, our big three - Gary Sanchez, Matt Holliday and Aaron Judge - each fanned twice. (Note: Since the Yankees last week unveiled the "Judge's Chambers" millennial outreach program, Judge is 4 for 19 with no home runs and five strikeouts. Pressure? I dunno, but I do know this: A few more slow games, and it will become a talk show issue.) Of course, we won because a) CC Sabathia pitched brilliantly and b) Holliday homered with a runner on base. So, the moral of the story: We'll just keep free-swinging. 

We haven't scored more than 5 runs in a game since May 17th. In our last six games, we have struck out 61 times - that includes a 17-strikeout night in Tampa. And it's in line with our season totals.

The Yankees average 9.15 strikeouts per game - third highest in MLB, behind the whiff ghettos of Tampa and Milwaukee, and barely ahead of San Diego and Oakland. Want something to worry about? Boston has the game's lowest strikeout ratio - only 6.62 per game. 

We have the second highest average of walks per game - 4.02, behind Minnesota. (Boston averages 3.69.) Worst of all, we lead every team in baseball in average number of runners left on base, and runners left in scoring position. 

Together, it suggests we are the most boring team in baseball. Nine strikeouts and four walks - and that's just on our side of the line score. Add another seven or eight strikeouts for the opposition, plus a walk or two, and should anybody wonder why attendance is down? We are putting forth a product where batters walk up to the plate, then either walk to first or walk back to the dugout. As Aphonso says, we are watching nothing happen. 

(Also, unless something changes dramatically, it will take us down. Homer happy teams don't fare well against good pitching.) 

What's really been sad lately has been the slow-motion close-up of Chase Headley's career self-immolation. But what does it take for a guy to adjust his swing? He started 2017 with a smooth bunt single and an opposite field base hit. He was red hot in April, invoking a new sense of adjustment. Then came the month of May and - poof - same old Headley - strikeouts or double play balls. It's another Stephen Drew. Another Mark Teixeira. Another player gone bad before his time.

Lately, you can feel a growing desperation in this lineup. If the opposition has a big inning - three, four runs - there is a weird sense that the game is over. (Weird, because we had so many great comebacks earlier.) When a batter has two strikes, the third seems inevitable. And runners on base no longer matter, because the hitters are swinging for the fences anyway. 

I cannot believe I am saying this, but the Yankees are starting to look like a boring team again.