It's only 5 games and they're only 16% of but losing 5 straight including a mini-sweep in their first series at the New Yankee Stadium is painful. It isn't quite time to panic just yet but there is significant cause for concern.~First off is the troubling Jorge injury. We saw last season what hit the Yankees lineup takes when Jose Molina is forced to play daily. Now Jorge is on the DL and we get slow poke Jose and his .200 average getting no big hits while clogging up the basepaths when he actually does manage to get on. Additionally Jorge is one of the clubhouse leaders, he's one of the few guys in the clubhouse not afraid to get in the face of a teammate and to tell them to sac up. If he's out for longer than 3 weeks than they could be in trouble.
~Problem #2: Bullpen. 200 Million Dollars apparently does not buy a bullpen that's capable of anything other than suckitude. Who does Joe Girardi go to? Bruney and DUMBASSHO are on the DL. So now he's stuck with the terribly inconsistent Veras. Phil Coke who's been solid. David Robertson, not that superb. Mark Melancon one of their best prospects who promptly walked his first three batters. Edwar Ramirez and his 2.16 WHIP. Albaladejo and his propensity to give up runs in bunches. The options are very very bad and in most cases very very inexperienced.
~Last night Ramiro Pena came up down 1 with runners on 1st and 3rd and one out. All he needed to do was hit a slow roller to the shortstop. Instead he took that swing and struckout easily. Then Molina got up and grounded into the debacle above. It's just more proof how badly the Yankees need A-Rod. Pena has been leaps and bounds better than Cody Ransom was, but he still isn't someone to be trusted in a big spot and he certainly isn't going to collect that meaningless Grand Slam in the late innings. ~Things I'm not terribly worried about are Big Tex and CC getting it together. These two have been consistently great over the past 5 years. There's a reason they got paid so much money. They'll find their groove soon enough.
~Phil Hughes didn't exactly impress in his second outing quite like he did in his first. You don't expect him to be dominant in each outing but it would be nice.
~I'm a tad bit worried about Cano. His April was almighty but he's gone into a little funk the past 4 games and being that he's been a ridiculously streaky hitter over his career, I'm worried that the one consistent bat they've had all year is ready to head into a funk.
~Basically these 5 games have been really annoying because it's not like the Yanks have gotten their doors blown off. They had Mo in for the save in one and in three others they either had a lead or were 1 run away going into the late innings. They had a chance to win several games and couldn't get it done.
~Now onto the Red Sox...~In years past it was automatic, Manny would come to the Bronx bat .440 and mash. The Big Papi Manny combo was something the Yankees could never figure out. When that was broken up last season, I rejoiced like many Yankee fans and yet Jason Bay has quietly taken his place as a Yankee killer.
~Lester baffles the Yankees lefties consistently.
~Youk and Pedroia have been hated for years now because as soon as they came up from the minors and started to get consistent playing time they have played extremely well against the Yankees.
~David Ortiz has been miserable this entire season. He's batting .225 with zero homers. What does he do against the Yankees? He goes 3 for 6 with 4 walks. He was on base at a .700 clip. His OBP this season is .331.
~All in all their roster just seems to perform better against the Yankees than they do other rosters. Why? I have no idea, but they seem to step it up in the big spot meanwhile the Yankees roster, Not So Much.
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