All season long, the Yankees have followed a hot streak with a cold streak, and then that with another hot streak, and then that with another cold streak. They rode a hot streak to put themselves in position to win the American League Eastern Division title, then fell into a cold streak to put any Playoff berth in jeopardy. Then they rode a hot streak to all but guarantee at least a Wild Card berth.
Last night, they simply didn't hit when they needed to. If this is the start of another cold streak, they are in serious trouble.
It was the start of the final series of the regular season, home to the Tampa Bay Rays. Nestor Cortes started, and gave up a home run to Nelson Cruz, age 41, in the 1st inning. A Giancarlo Stanton single in the bottom of the 1st tied it up. But Cortes allowed another single in the top of the 2nd, and it remained 2-1 Rays after 8 innings.
The Yankees stranded a runner on 1st with 2 out in the 1st, and again in the 4th; and on 1st with 1 out in the 2nd, and again in the 6th.
The bullpen seemed to be getting the job done. Clay Holmes worked out of Cortes' jam in the 5th. He started the 6th, and Wandy Peralta ended it, without a run. Peralta worked into a jam in the 7th, but Jonathan Loaisiga worked out of it. Domingo German pitched a scoreless 8th. Still, the Yankees needed a run to tie it, and couldn't get it.
Cliche Alert: Walks can kill you. German got the 1st out in the 9th, then walked 2 batters. Aaron Boone brought Albert Abreu in to pitch, and he got a forceout, but the Rays pulled off a double steal, and then Wander Franco singled those runs home. It was 4-1 Tampa Bay.
Finally, with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th, the Yankees showed some life. Stanton doubled, and was singled home by Joey Gallo. 4-2. Gio Urshela singled. Brett Gardner singled Gallo home. 4-3. Things were looking up.
But Gary Sanchez swung and missed at a terrible pitch for strike 3. And Rougned Odor also struck out, to end it in the Rays' favor.
"For one brief shining moment," as Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe put it.
To make matters worse, the Boston Red Sox beat the Washington Nationals 4-2, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-4. The Yankees did catch one break: The Seattle Mariners lost to the Los Angeles Angels 2-1.
With 2 games left, the Yankees still hold the 1st AL Wild Card slot, by a game over the Red Sox. The Mariners and Blue Jays are a game behind the Sox. Essentially, the Wild Card Game is going to be between the Yankees and the Red Sox, but which team will have home field advantage remains to be seen.
Of course, that depends on the Yankees winning at least 1 of their last 2 games against the Rays. If they lose both, there is a chance that they could be forced into "a playoff for the playoffs" on Monday, a Game 163 that would be not the Wild Card Game, but a "playoff" that counts as a regular season game. Meaning that, after Game 162, they would have to win two games, on back-to-back days, possibly in two different cities, just to get into the Playoffs proper.
This afternoon, at 1:05, Jordan Montgomery starts against Shane Baz. The Jays' start is listed at 3:07 PM, the Sox' at 4:05, and the Mariners' at 9:10 Eastern Time.
For tomorrow afternoon, at 3:05 (not 1:05, as I had it listed yesterday), the Yankees still haven't decided on a starting pitcher, perhaps waiting to see if Jameson Taillon, whose turn it would be, can pitch. Michael Wacha is set to start for the Rays. Boston is also listed as a 3:05 start. Toronto is listed at 3:07. (Why they list start times at 7 minutes past the hour, which is when most games seem to begin these days, and no other team MLB team does, I don't know.) Seattle is listed at 3:10. So, essentially, all 4 teams will be at roughly the same point in their games at the same time. Whether that will still matter for the trailing Jays and M's, we do not yet know.
But the Yankees had better score runs in these last 2 games, just in case.
Do it in the name of Bucky Dent, in honor of his home run, 43 years ago today. (Wow, I'm old.)