When you look at these guys, the troops who have been through the worst of it this season, but still dealing while their brothers are dropping like flies, I applaud them. They show up to the ballpark every day, ready to give it their all because their club has called on them. Well, as a fan, I am commanding you, no matter how bad or how hard it gets, we can't give up on this club.
David Phelps. Zoilo Almonte. Brett Gardner. Dellin Betances. Derek Jeter. Even newly called up Jim Miller... more on him in a second. The point is, these men want to win. They stand tall, they fight, and they are doing all they can, but sometimes, when your fellow soldier is down it ain't easy. For the Yankees, there are many soldiers down. But here's the thing, the players we have don't stop showing up. They have a job to do and dammit, they're doing what they can. Sooner or later, I believe that confidence, that fight can help us. Unfortunately, tonight was terrible, but it will change... I feel it.
David Phelps went hard tonight. I tip my cap, he's coming into his own. 6 innings, allowed 7 hits and 2 runs. The wheels fell off for the bullpen after that, and I almost don't want to get down on the pen, because they've been great all year, but tonight, they shit the bed. They know it, and they also know they can't let it happen again. Matt Thornton gave up 2 runs. Jim Miller, God bless him, gave up 5.
I can't even get down on Miller, the guy's a gamer, and tonight, he just had a bad game. I don't fault him tonight... I refuse to, unless it continues. Miller will turn it around. Unfortunately, we needed him strong tonight, but he just didn't have it.
The Yankees had 11 hits. You'd expect more than 3 runs, but that didn't happen. Once again the hitting and run scoring was flat. We left 11 on base. It's a problem... a major problem.
In the 4th, rookie Zelous Wheeler homered. It's his second since he's been up. It was a 2 run shot. In the 5th, Yangervis Solarte singled knocking in Francisco Cervelli.
Final: Indians 9 - Yankees 3
Finally, 3 things to think about;
1. As a fan, we need to stand with our club. I remember doing it in the 80's when we were terrible. But game after game, I rooted because I believed. We shouldn't give up now, we can't. We're Yankee fans.
2. Why are the Yankees pitchers having so much trouble with injury? Is it the strength training? Is it lack of conditioning? Is it pitching coach Larry Rothschild? The Yankees don't have this much bad luck unless something is attached to it. What is it?
3. The Yankees need a lesson in Money ball. You can't leave men on base as much as we're doing. We can't NOT knock runs home. Kevin Long needs to be re-evaluated. Sure, big time hitters need to swing their own bats, but trainers see things that big time hitters DON'T see when they're in their same routine.
There are people that get paid a helluva lot of money to problem solve a situation like hitting and pitching on a club. We need to find out who that is, fire them, and get someone in house to fix it. That's my take anyway.
Stay strong Yankee fans... this is a rough patch, but we're in it together.
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