There are bad days, and then there are truly bad days. Today is September 11, the anniversary of one of the truly bad days in American history. There is no point in trying to compare any sports loss to that.
But by most standards, yesterday shaped up as a bad day for the Yankees. First of all, it was determined that the much-hyped rookie Jasson Domínguez has a torn ulnar collateral ligament. He will need Tommy John surgery, and will be out into next season. Thus endeth any hope of making the Playoffs this season.
As for the game... It was the finale of a 3-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers. In each of the 1st 2, the Yankees were tied 2-2 late, but the bullpen collapsed, and they lost 8-2 and 9-2. This was, if not worse, then, certainly, more depressing.
Gerrit Cole started for the Yankees. The ace went 7 innings, allowing no runs on 3 hits and no walks, striking out 9. He had thrown 106 pitches, so it's understandable that he was taken out.
The problem was, Corbin Burnes -- not to be confused with Corbin Bernsen, who played Cleveland Indians 3rd baseman Roger Dorn in the Major League movies -- started for the Brewers, and he pitched a no-hitter for 8 innings! Devin Williams pitched a perfect 9th. The Yankees had a no-hitter pitched against them -- at least, under the old definition. Since 1991, it has only counted as a "no-hitter" if the game is completed, not merely with 9 no-hit innings.
The "ghost runner" came into effect, but neither team scored in the 10th. Indeed, Abner Uribe pitched a 10th hitless inning. The Yankees had been no-hit for 10 innings. Their only baserunners: Giancarlo Stanton led off the 5th with a walk, Isiah Kiner-Falefa grounded into a fielder's choice that eliminated Stanton but got himself on, Everson Pereira drew a walk; and then that was it, until Stanton drew another walk in the 10th. When that inning ended, the game was still scoreless.
Aaron Boone sent Nick Ramirez to pitch the top of the 11th for the Yankees, and he allowed a run. Good defense kept it at 1-0, but the Yankees looked finished. Only 1 team has ever gone a full 11 innings in a game without getting a hit, the 1959 Milwaukee Braves against Harvey Haddix of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and they ended up breaking up his perfect game and then beating him in the 13th. With 1 out in the bottom of the 11th, the Yankees avoided ignominy by an Oswaldo Cabrera double that scored ghost runner Anthony Volpe.
Ramirez stayed on the mound for the top of the 12th, and allowed 2 runs, to make it 3-1 Milwaukee. But Stanton, already responsible for 2 Yankee baserunners, crushed a home run to score himself and ghost runner Gleyber Torres, and tied the game.
Journeyman lefthander Anthony Misiewicz made his Yankee debut, and pitched a hitless top of the 13th. With 1 out in the bottom of the 13th, Kyle Higashioka doubled ghost runner Pereira home with the winning run. Yankees 4, Brewers 3.
This was very close to being the worst loss in a season of bad losses. Instead, it was a walkoff win.
With 19 games to go, the Yankees are 8 games out of the last American League Wild Card spot. It looks hopeless. And now, they have to go to Fenway to face The Scum.