Give Me A Break: Yankees Embarass Themselves Again

(Photo: AP Photo/Keith Birmingham)

A day after blowing a four run lead in an eventual 10-6 loss to the Angels, the Yankees were back it again on Saturday. Andy Pettite was good through his first three innings and the Yankee offense had spotted him a four run lead heading into the bottom of the fourth, however, the world was not enough for Pettite as he eventually imploded and paved the way for another Yankee loss, this time by a score of 14-8.

Pettite's demise came in the bottom of the fifth when he would surrender five runs to make the score 6-4 in favor of the Angels. Pettite wound up with a horrific line of four and a third innings pitched, 7 hits, 6 earned runs and one strikeout. Certainly not what the Yankees were hoping for considering the depleted Angels lineup that they were facing.

Perhaps even more shocking in this game was the absolute and total implosion of th bullpen. Over the past month the Yankee bullpen has been one of the very best in baseball, however, on Saturday they clearly decided to take the day off. In the bullpen's three and two thirds innings of work they combined for eight earned runs on nine hits and needed an astounding 91 pitches to get through it all. Phil Coke saw his era balloon to a somewhat unsightly 3.99, while David Robertson continued his recent decline, his era now sits at 3,57. Brett Tomko also pitched, but come on, its Brett Tomko, you know he was awful. There was clearly nothing else to blame on this day besides the pitching. Any time your offense provides five home runs and eight runs worth of support, the game should be locked up.

Alex Rodriguez would continue his recent tear, clubbing his 16th and 17th round trippers of the year. Rodriguez accounted for six Yankee runs, driving in three and scoring three. Not to be outdone, Erik Hinske continued his Welcome To New York tour as he jacked two homers of his own. The shots were his third and fourth of the season, he accounted for three rbi's and has now hit three home runs in his first nine at bats as a Yankee. Hideki Matsui would contribute the Yankees fifth homerun, his 14th of the season. The Yankees were an efficient 1-4 with men in scoring position and stranded just three men on base, however, due to the absolutely putrid pitching performance it was all for not.

Notes: With the loss the Yankees have now fallen 2.0 games back of the Red Sox in the AL East, not the way you want to end the first half. CC Sabathia (8-5, 3.70) will look to stop the bleeding for the Yanks as they try to save a little face going into the All Star Break. Sabathia will be opposed by the struggling John Lackey (3-4, 5.18). First pitch is scheduled for 3:35 in LA.

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