OAKLAND, Calif. — Are the Yankees immersed in a team-wide slog, or is it just their bullpen that has hit the skids?
Perhaps the better question: At some point, do the macro and the micro meld into one big problem?
The Yankees appear curious enough to put this philosophy to the test. This California week officially turned into a road trip from hell Friday night, as they suffered their season-high fourth straight loss, 7-6 to the A’s at Oakland Coliseum. All four defeats have occurred in the seventh inning or later.
“Every team’s going to have these,” manager Joe Girardi said after the game. “I’m pleased with the way we keep fighting back, and that will bode well during the course of the season.
“Right now, our bullpen’s in a little bit of disarray. We’ll get it straightened out, and we’ll be fine.”
What a weird week this has been for the Yankees, who jetted West sky-high after sweeping the Orioles in The Bronx. It turns out that last game at Yankee Stadium, a 14-3 victory, carried a trickle-down effect for the wrong reasons, as spot starter Chad Green lasted just two-plus innings. Then, Tuesday night at Angel Stadium, CC Sabathia departed after four frames because of a strained left hamstring, and the relievers totaled 6 ²/₃ more innings as the Yankees lost in the 11th.
In the subsequent three contests, the Yankees’ starting pitchers have totaled 17 ²/₃ innings, and their offense has put together 18 runs. That usually will produce optimal results. Nevertheless, the Yankees’ relievers have combined to give up nine runs in eight innings, and here the Yankees (38-27) stand, their American League East lead shaved down to one game over the Red Sox (38-29), two in the loss column, as the Sawx prevailed over the Astros in Houston.
“We come out here every day trying to do our job,” losing pitcher Jonathan Holder said.
The rookie, enjoying an otherwise strong maiden voyage, absolutely didn’t do his job in the eighth inning. Charged with protecting a 6-5 lead, the right-hander walked Yonder Alonso with one out and served up a double to Ryon Healy and, following an intentional walk to Stephen Vogt, failed to spike an 0-and-2 curveball that rookie Matt Chapman scalded past Chase Headley for a two-run single, Chapman’s first major-league hit.
Holder received the assignment — tough in situation, easy in opponent, as the A’s linger near the bottom of the AL’s run-producing teams — because Girardi saved Tyler Clippard for the ninth inning … because Dellin Betances threw 39 pitches in Thursday’s loss and was deemed unavailable … because Aroldis Chapman has been on the disabled list for over a month now with left shoulder woes.
The Yankees hope to activate Chapman Sunday, which would be a most encouraging development for the club.
“I think when you look at this, it’s just that our bullpen got taxed twice in three days, and I think that’s what’s kind of put us in trouble,” Girardi said. “Yeah, of course you miss Chapman, because it makes your bullpen longer. But the fact that they threw what? Sixteen innings in three days, it kind of messed it up. We’re trying to get it back in order. Hopefully as we move on it’ll be fine.”
You of course wonder whether the other units will hit their own forms of turbulence. The lineup has continued to mash despite setbacks; Aaron Judge blasted a three-run homer and tripled in his (closest to) hometown ballpark Friday to help make up for the absences of Aaron Hicks and Gary Sanchez (minor injuries, the Yankees hope) and Brett Gardner and Didi Gregorius (rest against A’s southpaw starter Sean Manaea). While the rotation has not dominated in this turn, Friday night’s starter Luis Severino hung in after falling into a 4-0 hole, just as his predecessors Jordan Montgomery and Michael Pineda fought through hard times.
“I still believe in these guys,” Girardi said of relievers.
That’s all well and good, but right now, if the Yankees could choose the most important verb ending in “elieve,” it would be relieve.