Rays 6 Yankees 3: That Doesn't Cut It

Another subpar performance from the Yankees led to their second straight loss to the Rays, 6-3.  It was another case, as in the second game of the year, of too little, too late with the offense.  Though more players got hits, the team still struggled to score with men on base.  Andy Pettite was for the most part good until he allowed a three-run homer to Gomes in the fifth to make it a 5-1 Rays lead.  An eighth-inning homer from Aybar made it 6-1. Though the Yankees mounted a comeback in the bottom of the eighth, scoring two with the bases loaded, they again failed to plate runners in scoring position, dropping to 2-3 for the year.

A-Rod smacked a two-out RBI double in the first to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead, but the defense let the Yanks down again.  Duncan threw away a force attempt into left-center to give the Rays second and third.  After Pettite loaded the bases with no outs by plugging Pena, Upton scored Iwamura with a force to tie the game, and Gomes's sac fly scored Crawford, 2-1 Rays.  The Yankees again squandered chances, leaving the bases loaded in the second with one out after Damon popped out again, and Jeter struck out again.  With two outs in the third, Giambi walked and Cano got his first hit of the year, but Posada flew out to deep left to strand two.  Despite working Edwin Stinking Jackson's pitch count over 80 through the first four innings, they failed to chase him from the game, in fact making his work easy in the 5th and 6th. 

Pettite wasn't terrible, but the homer to Gomes hurt him and sunk the Yankees, who exude the feeling thus far this year that their getting down a few runs is enough to bury them.  Hopefully he'll improve with steady work now that he's back.  Bruney was excellent in relief, throwing two perfect innings while fanning four.  Ohlendorf allowed the homer to Aybar to begin the eighth, but was otherwise solid and efficient.  I know it's early but if this keeps up, Bruney and Ohlendorf will move up the pecking order in the pen surpassing Hawkins and Nuke. 

The Yankees loaded the bases with three straight singles and no outs in the eighth, but Cano struck out, Posada singled to score two and bring the tying run to the plate, but Matsui was caught looking and Duncan grounded into a force to end the threat and, effectively, the game. The offense was more well-rounded than it has been, but still lethargic as a team especially in clutch situations.  Posada and A-Rod were each 2-4, with Posada driving in two and A-Rod one, while Duncan, Matsui, Cano, Betemit, and Abreu added a single apiece.  But really derailing the Yankees was the 0-9 that Damon and Jeter amassed, 9 LOB--five of whom were in scoring position--Duncan's defensive miscue and Pettite's mistake to Gomes.  The Yanks are 5-33 with runners in scoring position this year, really horrible execution. This is good news-bad news.  It's not that the Yankees aren't getting chances, it's that they're not cashing them in.  If they continue to put men on base, they'll improve their production. I'm confident in that and them.

No time to panic, people.  It's five games in, the Yankees haven't begun to hit as a team, and key players--Damon, Cano, Jeter, Posada (despite today), and Giambi (who left the game with a sore groin)--just haven't hit.  That will change, at least for a couple of them and certainly for the team.  How about sooner than 2004, and especially 2005 and 2007?