Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Yankees "Frustrated" In Bad Loss to Bad Sox

Last night, the Yankees opened a home series against the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees have had a difficult season. The Red Sox? If they had only the Yankees' problems, and no more, it would be an improvement.

Shane Greene started for the Yankees, and had his first truly bad game in Pinstripes (or road grays). He got shelled, and didn't get out of the 3rd inning. This game was over pretty quickly.

In the bottom of the 5th, with the Sox leading 7-3, but with the bases loaded (with 2 out), meaning a home run would have tied it and a hit of any kind would at least have gotten the Yankees back in the game, Brett Gardner struck out for the 3rd time in as many at-bats. This was a called 3rd strike, with the instant replay showing it was well out of the strike zone. Home plate umpire Tim Timmons got it wrong. Gardner got frustrated, and threw his bat down. Before he even said a word, Timmons tossed him.

"I saw the replay of it," Gardner said after the game. "Obviously, it was outside, right where I thought it was. Obviously, I got frustrated, after my first two at-bats, and then I felt like I got the bat taken out of my hands in a big situation, pitcher’s on the ropes, and I just let my emotions get the best of me.”

If it wasn't against the Sox, it would probably be forgotten quickly. But the Sox get so much help from the umpires and the MLB officials. I probably would have stayed on the field long enough to tell that umpire what I thought of him and his colleagues. (And likely gotten suspended. But it would have been worth it.)

Anyway, the Yankees did hit 2 home runs: One by Martin Prado, his 5th (but he got hurt later, and is now day-to-day); and one by Brian McCann, his 16th (but he's still batting .237 with a .289 on-base percentage, so you tell me if the balance is in the Yankees' favor). But it was hardly enough: The game ended 9-4 to The Scum.

WP: Joe Kelly (1-1). No save. LP: Greene (4-2).

The series continues tonight. Hiroki Kuroda starts against Anthony Ranaudo.

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