New York Yankees: 3 Major takeaways from another Yankee loss to the Red Sox

New York Yankees, Phil Nevins
Feb 23, 2018; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees third base coach Phil Nevin (53) at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Last night at Fenway Park, the New York Yankees took on the Boston Red Sox for the fourth time this season, and for the fourth time, the Yankees came out of the short end. The Red Sox took the game 5-3. Before the game upon his retirement, the Sox celebrated the career of the iconic second baseman Dustin Pedroia. Before the start of the game, they retired his number 15 before a sell-out crowd. This series with the Sox is the shortest away series of the season. There are only three games before they return to the Stadium in the Bronx for a series with the Angels.

German fails again for the third time

After two disastrous starts in a row, Domingo German took to the mound in the first game of a series with the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. The result was the same; he went four innings, giving up four runs while striking out just three Sox. German has been having command problems that he can’t see to solve.

During May, German was one of the best New York starting pitchers. The Yankees won four of his five starts, and he had an ERA of 2.40. However, June has been an entirely different German has been on the mound. He has pitched 23 innings in June, giving up almost a run per inning and pitching to an ERA of 7.20. In his last three games, he has pitched 12.1 innings giving up 15 runs.

A coach may have cost the Yankees the game

Phil Nevins is one of the best third-base coaches in the business, but he was out to lunch last night. In the fourth inning, with the Red Sox strong arms in the outfield, he waved Gio Urshela home; Ushela was caught ten feet before he reached home plate. At the top of the fourth, Gio Urshela hit one off the green monster at Fenway Park for a double. Andujar singled, The single wasn’t that deep, but Nevin immediately started waving Urshela to run for home. Nevin should have realized centerfielder Hernandez would be firing into a home and stopped Urshela at third. The blunder kept the Yankees from tieing up the game at 4 and ultimately may have cost them the game.

Zack Britton injured again

This has been a bad luck season for the Yankee’s setup man Zack Britton. Britton started the year with a bout of the coronavirus that hit him pretty hard. However, he recovered from that in time for spring training. The Yankees were looking for big things this season from Britton as he pitched to an ERA of 1.89 last season with eight saves during closer Aroldis Chapman’s bout with the virus.

Early in spring training, Britton developed elbow soreness that turned out to be a bone chip that needed surgery to remove. The rehab kept him away from the team until June 12th. Then, finally, after four games, Britton was returning to form. Last night, he came in in the eighth inning and faced two batters; he immediately grabbed his left hamstring on the last pitch. The trainer and Boone came to the mound, but there was no discussion; Britton immediately hobbled back to the dugout.

“We’ll know tomorrow,” Boone said of the severity. “We’ll know whether it’s a cramp, whether it’s a strain, whatever. Hopefully it’s nothing too serious, we’ll have to see. But, yeah, definitely some feel for Brit in that spot knowing what he’s been through to get back.”