With apologies to Elizabeth Barret Browning, I offer a sonnet to sum up where we are right now…
How do I worry? Let me count the ways.
I worry to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, with losses every night,
To Sox and O’s and then to Jays and Rays.
I worry to the level that every game
Is life or death, revelation in plain sight.
I worry truly, hoping I’m not right.
I worry darkly, with each runner left on base.
I worry with the scars of twenty-two,
That fiery start mere ashes in my mouth.
I worry with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost heroes. I worry they’ve gone south,
And lost their way; and, beneath the boos,
I shall but worry deeper after death.
On June 13 the Yankees led the Royals 3-2 in Kansas City with two outs in the ninth inning and closer Clay Holmes on the mound. With two strikes on the batter, Holmes appeared poised to secure the save, and the Yankees appeared poised to sweep the series and earn their 50th win. But Kyle Isbel singled, and three pitches later Maikel Garcia doubled in the tying and winning runs. It was disappointing, but all it really meant was that the Yankees were 49-22 instead of 50-21. It didn’t matter at all, because they were still the best team in baseball.
Since then? Not so much. How bad have these Yankees been? Since that afternoon, they’ve posted a 7-17 record and lost seven of eight series. (They split a four-game set with the Blue Jays.)
Aside from the feel-good story of Ben Rice, there have been no bright spots. The starting rotation has been in a shambles, players who were exceeding expectations have regressed to the mean or even below, and even the mighty Aaron Judge has disappeared, going eight games and counting without an extra base hit or an RBI.
If there’s anything close to a silver lining, it’s this. The Baltimore Orioles haven’t taken advantage. During this same four-week stretch the O’s are only 12-13, going from 2.5 games behind the Yankees in the A.L. East to only two games ahead, which means that even after all of this time wandering in the wilderness, the Yankees could actually emerge from this weekend’s three-game series in Baltimore alone in first place.
It’s not impossible. Is it?
Bottom of the lineup contribution. Nice.
DJ Outz ... 2 at bats ... 3 outz generated!
Ooof, that wasn't even close ... bad call by someone
ALL RISE!
You could easily argue that these three games are the most important of the season. You could also argue that these next three innings are the most important of these three games. They really, really, really have to find a way to finish this.
I'm not sure the Yankees can carry the DJ Outz experience much longer.
He's a black hole.
VerdugOUT
Christ, but that was utterly pathetic by Jah
Wot is this boont thing you just asked me to do?
DJ Outz ... 5 at bats ... 6 outs created.
I mean ... YAY!
But why didn't Wells pinch run for Trevino there.
Call it the Boone-y factor.
AND NOW WELLS IS CATCHING IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 9TH ... WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK, BOONE-Y??????????
Punches thrown! Very interesting.
I'm getting sick of Holmes.
Nothing better than a ground ball double play here to wrap this up.
Almost!
Huge.
See you all tomorrow afternoon.
[11][12] BRILLIANT, BOONE-Y!
While adding some insurance in the ninth, though, Trevino tweaked his quad and was unable to return to catch the final outs (Austin Wells took over). Manager Aaron Boone said that he would undergo further testing.
The result: a quad strain and an IL stint.
And the utes shall lead us!
The Os radio color guy has to be new, I hope, because he’s not good.
DJ OUTZ, OUTZ, OUTZ!
Do you have MLB.tv, rbj?
Four pitch inning?
[23] Yes, but was driving, tuned in on the radio, shuttling between dad’s rehab and home
[25]
Ah ... because there is NO NY feed for today's game ... either radio OR TV ... just the Baltimore options.
I've never seen that before ... just trying to confirm that's for everybody.
I'd wish that DJ OUTZ pulled a hammy running the bases, but, of course that would require him getting a hit or on base somehow, so ... death by a thousand OUTZ will continue.
SOTO GO BOOM!
ALL RISE!
BACK TO BACK!
Ah, that’s nice to come back to.
He[Judge] has also hit 24 home runs in 55 games at Camden Yards, including 10 in his past 17 games (since May 17, 2022).
I am surprised Judge didn't sign with the Orioles. He loves hitting HRs at Camden Yards.
A fargin’ Roku game?
I didn't even know that there WAS such a thing until yesterday ... but, yes, it's a "Roku game".
We have 2 Roku equipped TVs, but I feel like watching it will just encourage MLB to do MOAR of this crap, so ...
[32] The game is ALSO on MLB.tv
So I WILL be watching, after all.
Ah, thanks.
Aw crap
Grish!
So Grisham is the offense today? Hope someone else joins the party.
I’m so tired of watching three-second at bats from Verdugo. Just a month ago I was wondering if there was a way they could keep him, but at this point, vaya con díos.
Rice!!!!
Only watching on gametracker. I’ll say it again, I disapprove of not having Mo as closer.
Well, that’s one way to lose.
For those not watching…
Ground ball hit directly to Volpe should have ended it.
Routine fly ball hit to Verdugo, completely misplayed. He took a couple steps in, then stumbled and watched it fall over his head for a double.
Gutting.
Can they just leave Holmes in Baltimore?
Could not have been more routine, turned into three runs.
Baltimore reporter acting like it was a legitimate walkoff. The worst part is these are the two best defenders on the team, two guys whose current value is their glove work. I don’t think it’s as bad as the Boston loss, but it’s in the neighborhood. Would’ve been their best win of the year, a great send off to the break and a return to first place. All smiles. I don’t know. Maybe it’s worse than the Boston loss.
[45] Hey now, that's certified 2024 Yankees All Star Clay Holmes you're talking about ... who WAS tied for the league lead in blown saves, but rallied to take the lead heading into the break!
An Aussie kid goes #1 in the draft? Congrats to him.
The painful, pointless DJ Outz Experience seems to still be touring ... sigh.
Welcome back, boys and well ... boys ... which version of the 2024 Yankees will we see at the start of this 2nd half of the season???
I have no idea. Been a long week.
Take the under ...
How is your dad doing?
[52] Seems like the 2nd half is going to pick up where the 1st left off ...
He’s doing better, just needs to build up his strength to walk. Is able to walk a bit, with assistance and move from bed to chair. We even got him outside today, briefly. First time aside from moving from building to building. I brought the terrorists for moral support.
Thanks
Crap, two on, no outs, Rays have us just where they want us.
Minor setback? So it’s amputation
Yup, who didn’t see that coming
DJ OUTZ, OUTZ, OUTZ!!!
Sigh
He's just BRUTAL ... they are going to waste 2/3rds of a season before they acknowledge the OBVIOUS.
Uh oh ... bases loaded, nobody out ... dare I watch?
Sigh ...
Let me bet, VerdugOUT swings at the first pitch
Cash me in ... Jesus Christ
That was SO pathetic
As was THAT
Phew.
That’s not how you become a true Yankee, Volpe, 3 run double.
I am off the ledge ... I'm still in the opened window, but I'm sitting down on the sill and enjoying some pistachios.
LITTLE LEAGUE HOMER!
I’ll take it
I think Rice is turning into gruel.
Meanwhile, Soto cadillacs ANOTHER double
Doesn't matter, but it could have.
I like Rice's eye ... but he's WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too passive
I get the feeling he's taking because he's just not reading the pitch properly on a lot of pitches.
Or that he's guessing ... and if he's wrong ... he's got no chance.
http://disq.us/p/2zmqiq0
There’s a lot of guesswork in hitting.
Good win
Holy crap, the space aliens are still controlling Boone-y ... he's finally, FINALLY dropped Verdugo from cleanup and put Wells in there!
I wouldn't want to be an infielder playing in against Judge ...
Good to see we can squander a lead off double so efficiently
VerdugOUTZ
Between him and DJ OUTZ, it's a miracle the bottom of the lineup ever scores a run.
That's 0 for his last 15 for DJ OUTZ
Jebus ... leave to go to the mailbox and Yankees are down 1-0 ... by the time I come back it's 4-0.
Strewth.
Good thing I’m with dad at rehab place.
I cannot fathom how they keep insisting on running DJ OUTZ out there ... game after game after game.
Well ... so much for THAT game ... nice that Narvaez got his first hit and the Yanks avoided the shut out, but ... otherwise ... yeesh.
VerdugOUTZ and DJ OUTZ are just murder in the lineup at this point.