With Apologies to Paul Simon
Backsliding away, Backsliding away, they no sooner get your hopes up than their...Backsliding away.
The three game slide that the Yankees are on is particularly worrisome because it has resulted from some serious reversion to the bad old ways of April. Once again today, they relied entirely on the home run for offense while exacerbating the abysmal situational failures of the last two games. Jorgr left a runner in scoringf position in the 6th; they put men on second and third with one out in the 7th and came up empty; they loaded the bases in the 8th and put up a goosegg. In so doing they wasted another good performance from Mussina (7 innings, 3 earned). Whesreas Jeter helped to lose last game with an unpardonable baserunning error (making the last out at third base), Cano helped to lose this one by committing an unpardonable fielding error (muffing the most routine of groundballs). This team could not win consistently with Matsui and Sheffield when they neglected the fundamentals; they sure won't be able to do so without them. For his part, Torre contributed to the loss with his usual tactical ineptitude. Instead of using his best power pinchhitter, Phillips, for the untried Kevin Thompson in the 8th, with 2 outs and the bases loaded, he waits till the ninth when they're down three and there's noone on base. Brilliant!
It might seem a little operatic to suggest that the season hangs in the balance right now, but consider: the Yankees are only in the race because they have been able to avoid extended losing streaks all season long. With the line-up this depleted, they need to play with urgency, attention to detail, and a dogged refusal to let their opportunities slip away if they are to continue avoid the big plunge. What they cannot do is lose games at home, with Mussina on the mound, pitching well, against the 5th starter of a mediocre team like the A's. What they really can't afford is to get swept. The concentration, intensity, and care that comes in the wake of daunting adversity has begun to abate. If the prospect of a lost season doesn't bring it back, and quickly, that prospect will become a reality, and quickly.
The three game slide that the Yankees are on is particularly worrisome because it has resulted from some serious reversion to the bad old ways of April. Once again today, they relied entirely on the home run for offense while exacerbating the abysmal situational failures of the last two games. Jorgr left a runner in scoringf position in the 6th; they put men on second and third with one out in the 7th and came up empty; they loaded the bases in the 8th and put up a goosegg. In so doing they wasted another good performance from Mussina (7 innings, 3 earned). Whesreas Jeter helped to lose last game with an unpardonable baserunning error (making the last out at third base), Cano helped to lose this one by committing an unpardonable fielding error (muffing the most routine of groundballs). This team could not win consistently with Matsui and Sheffield when they neglected the fundamentals; they sure won't be able to do so without them. For his part, Torre contributed to the loss with his usual tactical ineptitude. Instead of using his best power pinchhitter, Phillips, for the untried Kevin Thompson in the 8th, with 2 outs and the bases loaded, he waits till the ninth when they're down three and there's noone on base. Brilliant!
It might seem a little operatic to suggest that the season hangs in the balance right now, but consider: the Yankees are only in the race because they have been able to avoid extended losing streaks all season long. With the line-up this depleted, they need to play with urgency, attention to detail, and a dogged refusal to let their opportunities slip away if they are to continue avoid the big plunge. What they cannot do is lose games at home, with Mussina on the mound, pitching well, against the 5th starter of a mediocre team like the A's. What they really can't afford is to get swept. The concentration, intensity, and care that comes in the wake of daunting adversity has begun to abate. If the prospect of a lost season doesn't bring it back, and quickly, that prospect will become a reality, and quickly.
posted by joe valente | 12:57 AM
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