When Gerrit Cole allowed two long, hard-hit home runs in the first inning of the New York Yankees’ 9-2 defeat at the hands of the Boston Red Sox on Sunday, you just knew it was going to be a long day. The Bombers have struggled against top competition this year, except for maybe a sweep of the Chicago White Sox, while Boston is just looking like a superior team.
The Yankees have been able to go on hot winning streaks this year, but they have also dropped several games in succession. They are, according to the words of their manager Aaron Boone, an ‘inconsistent’ team.
“That inconsistency has defined us so far,†Boone told the media according to MLB.com. “We’ve got to find a way to be more consistent. Ultimately, we expect way more out of ourselves. I know the fan base expects more. To come up here and have a disappointing weekend against a team we’re trying to chase down is frustrating.â€
Cole’s very first pitch was sent over the Green Monster by Kike Hernandez, to make the Yankees go down 1-0 when nobody was even sweating.
Boston outscored the Yankees 18-7 over the three-game sweep in the weekend.
“You respond as best you can when you get punched in the face,†Cole said. “At some point, you know you’re going to take hits. You’ve got to keep your cool and respond, and understand some of them are going to land. We’ve been taking some blows. I think we’ve got to start dishing some back.â€
The Yankees’ ace couldn’t stop the bleeding
Cole allowed three home runs and six runs (five earned) in an outing that lasted five innings. “It’s a pretty brutal feeling to let the team down like that,†Cole said. He struck out six.
The Yankees, once again, had plenty of chances with men on base. But they just couldn’t capitalize enough.
“Again, we lost too many opportunities,†said shortstop Gleyber Torres. “I feel like we’re not being consistent when we go to home plate. We need to make adjustments and try to be better in those situations. I think we can win more games and not lose so many opportunities to score runs.â€