The Yankees have just dropped a series against the worst team in baseball, the Orioles, and it seemed like they didn’t even want to win.
The Yankees had one job to do this weekend, and that was to sweep the worst team in baseball. They simply could not even do that. The same team that had just come off a 13 game winning streak, couldn’t do it. While they were riding a losing streak before Gerrit Cole stopped it. Going back home everyone expected the Yankees to just beat down on the O’s. That wasn’t the case.
The Yankees not only dropped 2/3, but blew two of the games late. They barely won the first game, winning in extras on a Giancarlo Stanton RBI single. The other two games they looked awful. On Saturday, they were being no hit until the 7th inning and only tied the game on a Joey Gallo two-run homer in the 8th. Chapman then came on in the 9th and gave up a run, even though he needed to get an extra out as a result of a dropped third strike.
On Sunday, they gave the win to the O’s. At one point it looked as though the Yankees were going to cruise to a series win after Gary Sanchez hit a grandslam. Later in the game, A soft groundball was hit to Gleyber Torres who took his sweet time and the runner beat the throw out. The next batter hit a two -run homer to make it a 5-4 game.
Gary Sanchez would add his second homer of the game, giving the Yankees a 7-4 lead going into the 7th inning. Instead of bringing in Chad Green, The Yankees bring in Andrew Heaney, who proceeds to give up four runs and give the O’s a 8-7 lead. The Yankees wouldn’t score again and dropped a series to a team they needed to sweep.
Aaron Boone was ejected in the top of the 5th inning, so the Heaney move can’t be pinned on him, but whoever made the call needs to be fired. You can’t punt a game that you are winning and yes bringing in Heaney is punting the game. The Rays ended up losing as well so the Yankees once again blew an opportunity to gain a game on them.