The Yankees Can't Figure Out The Worst Team in All of Baseball

It’s a situation that continues to confuse the fuck out of me, but the Yankees can’t figure out the worst team in all of baseball. The Orioles can’t hit. They can’t pitch. They can’t field. Except when they play the Yankees. They all of a sudden gain this belief and hope that they can hang with the big boys for a few games. Last night it appeared like the Yankees had the game won, until they let it slip away.

Masahiro Tanaka made his first start since pulling both of his hamstrings at Citi Field about a month ago. He certainly wasn’t great, but at least he made it through the start with no injury complications. Tanaka went four and a third innings, as he was on about an 80 pitch count, giving up three runs, on six hits and two walks, while striking out five. He was obviously burned by the home run ball, to no surprise, when Machado sent this missile into left field for the longest home run he’s hit this year.

For a little while, Andrew Cashner was actually no-hitting the Yankees, because of course he was. That ended in the 5th when Didi ripped a ball into left for a single. After a Miguel Andujar walk, the mightily struggling Greg Bird stepped to the plate. I was begging on my hands and knees for him to just get a single. Drive in a run and give us some hope. He did a little more than that.

That was a fucking BOMB, and off a 96 mph fastball as well. Bird’s timing on fastballs has been drastically off since he’s come off the DL, so that was a great sign. He later drove in another run with a sac fly to match his career high in RBIs with four. I want to be wrong on Greg Bird. I want him to turn into this consistent hitting machine that he has been praised up and down for being. I need this more consistently because it’ll send the Yankees offense to a whole different level.

Chad Green pitched a scoreless sixth and came back out for the 7th having not pitched in a few days, compared to the rest of the pen. With the Yankees up 5-3, all we needed was nine outs to have a nice win in our pocket. Welp, Adam Jones singled to right and was followed by the bad man Manny Machado. Green elevated a 3-2 fastball and Manny let him pay.

Judge almost snagged that robbery which I think would have been one the more incredible plays I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately it went just off the tip of his glove and sailed over the fence. Fucking awful. We can’t kill the Baltimore Orioles. Every time the Yankees have some life, the O’s find an answer. They’re like a goddamn rash and we can’t get rid of them, we just keep scratching and making it worse.

Didi laced his third hit of the night to start the ninth and to hopefully start a rally. With one out and Greg Bird up, Zach Britton bounced a pitch in front of the plate. An aggressive Didi took off to try and take second. He was initially called out, but it was bang bang. Boone challenged and video replay, in my opinion, clearly showed Didi’s hand get in there before the Machado tag.

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This is the exact moment Didi’s hand touches the base and it was clear to me and everyone else, including the O’s broadcast booth, that he was safe.

I don’t really understand the point of replay if we have plays like this that should be overturned, and we’re sticking with the call on the field. In a completely non-biased point of view I had Didi safe with conclusive evidence. Obviously that’s not why the Yankees lost the game, but a man on second with less than two outs is a prime scoring situation for a team that needed a run to possibly win the game.

Well, Didi was called out and the Yankees came up empty in the 9th. Dellin pitched the ninth and was shaky from the start when he plunked Caleb Joseph to start the frame. Eventually the bases were loaded with one out and Mark Trumbo due up. Dellin got him to strike out on a great pitching sequence, which brought up Jonathan Schoop who I feel like murders the Yankees. Schoop lined a hot shot to Bird who played it to the side and off his glove.

You have to field that ball. You have to. Every single time that ball needs to be gobbled up. What a brutal way to lose a game to the fucking Baltimore Orioles. I mean it wasn’t as bad as the way the A’s lost last night, but that sucked.

I envy the Boston Red Sox for one thing and one thing only. They know how to bury a bad baseball team. They play the Orioles they blow them out. They play the Rays they beat them. They play the Rangers they don’t leave any doubts. The Yankees don’t do this and it could very well end up costing them the division. They don’t have issues with the Red Sox, Indians, Mariners, Astros, or Braves, but when it comes to playing lower tier competition they take their foot off the brake. That has to change if they want to avoid the Wild Card game in October. They’re the best team in baseball against teams above .500 and a middle of the road team against those that are below .500.

There’s a lot of panic going around because the Yankees just lost two games to the worst team in baseball. Understandable considering the Sox have won eight straight. Well, I’m here to once again say everything is fine. Last year this time you know what the Yankees record was? It was 45-41 and they were once again limping into the All Star Break. What is it today? 59-31. They are without two of their best hitters in Gary Sanchez and Gleyber Torres. There is still a Brian Cashman trade bomb on the horizon, and trust me it’s coming. Do not panic. Let’s just get to the All Star Break and hit the reset button. Sonny Gray tonight against Dylan Bundy.

Okay maybe tonight will be even worse, but we’re in this together at least. Stay the course.