Ken Davidoff, Post:
Bookends of epic Sanchez laziness defined the Yankees' 7-6 loss to the Rays on Monday night at Tropicana Field ...The Yankees have now dropped five straight games to pesky Tampa Bay ...
Sanchez, the Yankees' much-maligned catcher, kicked off the game's scoring with a mind-blowing display of defensive ineptitude, and he concluded the game altogether by not busting it out of the batter's box. A mind-blowing sandwich of apathy.
"You learn a lot in this game, and this [is] one of those instances where you learn from it," Sanchez said through an interpreter. ...
First of all, it was two instances, technically. Second of all, if Sanchez hasn't learned previously from such episodes, what will prompt him to learn now?
Let's start with the finish. With the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth, Sanchez hit a bullet to second baseman Daniel Robertson on the shortstop side of second base. Robertson flipped it to shortstop Willy Adames, who hustled to second yet couldn't beat Aaron Hicks to the bag. The game looked tied — until Adames threw to first to get the slow-as-molasses Sanchez, who didn't come close to busting it, prompting the fired-up Rays to burst out of the dugout in excitement.
"I think I could've done a better job for sure there running," Sanchez said. ...
You'd think Sanchez would be motivated enough to make amends for his sin in the first inning: the rare two-base passed ball.
Luis Severino's first-inning, two-out, 1-and-2 slider to former Yankee Ji-Man Choi crossed up Sanchez, hit the catcher's right leg and ricocheted toward foul territory on the third-base side. As Sanchez dawdled after the ball, with Severino showing only a modicum of interest in covering home plate, the Rays' Jake Bauers, who began the pitch on second base, read the situation perfectly and turned on the jets as he touched third, booking toward an unoccupied plate.
Sanchez sped up to grab the ball and unleashed an off-balance throw ... which hit Bauers as he dove headfirst into home for the game's opening run. It was a cheap run in a one-run Yankees loss, one that prompted Sanchez and Severino to have an animated discussion in the top of the second about what went wrong.
What was Gary Sanchez even doing here?— Chris Dixon (@cdixon25) July 24, 2018
This is an unacceptable lack of effort.#Yankees #PinstripePride
pic.twitter.com/31XPuWLV6G
George A. King III, Post:
In between Gary Sanchez embarrassing himself by not hustling in the first and ninth innings, Luis Severino put the Yankees in a hole too deep to escape.
Sanchez's lack of effort allowed Jake Bauers to score from second on a passed ball — a result of being crossed up in the opening frame — that didn't get far away from the catcher in foul territory. Then, batting with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth with the Yankees trailing by a run, Sanchez hit a ground ball to the left side of the infield that second baseman Daniel Robertson fielded and tossed to shortstop Willy Adames at the bag.
Aaron Hicks beat the toss, and it appeared Aaron Judge would score the tying run from third — until you looked up and Sanchez was running like mud moving uphill. He was out at first, and the Yankees left Tropicana Field with a 7-6 loss ... It was the Yankees' fifth straight loss to the Rays. ...
Sanchez admitted he could have done a better job in each situation. ...
[Luis Severino has] an obese 7.80 ERA in his past three starts and has given up six homers. ...
In their past 14 games, the Yankees are 7-7. Combined with the Red Sox beating the Orioles, the loss dropped the 63-35 Yankees six games back of the AL East leaders.
Marc Carig, The Athletic:
Gary Sanchez has made it easy for his critics to question his effort. There's no disputing his talent ... [but that is] too often obscured by what he can't do — or won't do. And on Monday night, that included the simple act of running. ...
[O]n Monday night, his indefensible acts highlighted his least flattering traits as a player.
Sánchez loafed going after a passed ball in the first inning, an embarrassing gaffe that allowed Jake Bauers to score all the way from second base. And in the ninth, with the bases loaded, his team trailing by a run, and the Yankees down to their final out, Sanchez jogged down the first line after hitting a hard grounder to second base.
It wouldn’t have drawn notice had the Rays forced Aaron Hicks at second base to end the game. But when Hicks got in safely, the Rays recorded the final out anyway, throwing to first base to get Sanchez easily because he didn't bother to run it out. ...
That left Boone to play the diplomacy card. When asked after the game how he would handle a blatant lack of hustle, he insisted that he needed a second look at the plays to know for sure. Luckily for Boone, he won't need to slow down the replays to get a clear view. Real-time speed will suffice.
Bases loaded— NYK-NYJ-NYY-4LIFE (@knicksjets4life) July 24, 2018
Bottom of the 9th
One run game
This lack of hustle by Gary Sanchez is inexcusable #Yankees pic.twitter.com/EwuXA46iMB
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