With a 2-5 record for the week, the Yankees retracted the good play they have shown for the better part of a month and with it the chance to create some separation in the division. The team must rediscover the consistency which has propelled them for the better part of a month, or it will find itself in another uphill climb heading toward October.
The Good - C.C. Sabathia got himself back on track with two solid performances, securing his first two wins of the season. This is a good sign for him as things had not gone too well to the big lefty. Here's hoping he can continue this pace and add another dynamic to the rotation.
The Bad - The offense averaged just 1.2 runs in their 5 losses this week, this includes two losses in Tampa where they scored 2 runs in the first inning in each game, but were subsequently shut out the rest of the way. This was an all too common last season and the Yankees cannot allow poor offensive performances like these to happen too often.
- Chase Whitley became the latest victim of a torn UCL (Ulnar collateral ligament), opening another hole in the starting rotation. Even though Capuano did return from the disabled list to take his place, the pitching staff won't be whole again until Masahiro Tanaka is fully recovered.
- Brian McCann and Stephen Drew were not very productive this week, putting up rather poor (McCann 4 for 23 - .174 avg, Drew 3 for 23 - .130 avg). While McCann is guaranteed a spot no mater what, Drew will need to get his hitting in order if he wishes to prevent fans from calling for him to be Designated for Assignment (the MLB's kind version of a release). The fact that the highly favored prospect Robert Refsnyder lost out on a spot in the majors because of him is certainly not helping matters either. Perhaps giving Pirela more time will motivate Drew to raise his performance and earn the faithful's trust. However, Girardi has already shown his support for the struggling second baseman, so it remains his spot to lose
No comments:
Post a Comment