The New York Yankees are trying to get to the postseason, but that would be a surprise to any casual observer that has seen them lose six consecutive games while their rivals are rising to the occasion. The Yankees have had possession of the first wild card slot for nearly three weeks, have let that slip away as they are desperate to win a game, any game.
Even for a good team, it’s tough to sweep a four-game series; conversely, it is just as difficult to be swept in that many games, yet the New York Yankees have done it easily. They have committed errors, their bats have been silent, and their starting pitching and relievers have been deficient. It appears to be a team that is injured and just plain tired out.
In the four games against the Blue Jays, the Yankees never led in a single inning. The Blue Jays outscored the Yankees 25-8 over the span. Since 1908 the Yankees have never lost a four-game series while not leading at any point in those games at Yankee Stadium. According to CBSSports, the year is 1926, but the point is that the Yankees haven’t been this embarrassed in 100 years.
The Baltimore Orioles will lose over 100 games this season, but the New York Yankees have played worse than that team over the last 10 games going just 2-8. Meanwhile, the hot as fire Toronto Blue Jays have gone 9-1. The Yankees have now slipped to 10 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East. With only 22 games left to the season, the Yankees would have to win all of those games to have any hope of winning the east.
The Yankees train has left the station, but it’s going in the wrong direction. The Yankees teased its fans by winning 13 consecutive games, only to let them down by losing six in a row and wiping any gains they got during the winning spurt. If the Yankees continue to play as they have over the last week, they will drop out of any wild card contention in the next week, leading to another failed New York Yankee season and a very long offseason of reflection.
Today the Yankees start a three-game weekend series with the crosstown New York Mets at Citi Field. It should be an interesting series because both teams are desperate to win as they are sinking in the standings. This evening at 7:10 pm EDT, Jordan Montgomery, one of the few healthy Yankee pitchers, will face Tylor Megill in the contest.