Kristie Ackert, Daily News:
Masahiro Tanaka, was pummeled by the Red Sox Thursday in a career-worst night as the Red Sox beat up the Yankees 19-3 in the first of a four-game series.
It was the most runs the Yankees have ever allowed to the Red Sox, and the most they have allowed to any team since they gave up 22 to Cleveland in 2009. Tanaka is the first Yankees pitcher to allow 12 runs in a game since Red Ruffing allowed 12 Sept. 2, 1939 at Fenway. He is also the first to allow at least 12 earned runs since Carl Mays allowed 13 on July 17, 1923.
Perhaps the ultimate humiliation was when skipper Aaron Boone threw in the towel and had catcher Austin Romine pitch the bottom of the eighth inning, where Romine proceeded to give up two home runs. ...
This week, with road trips to the AL Central-leading Twins and the defending champion Red Sox, the Yankees have had a chance to gauge themselves against potential postseason opponents. The Yankees' five starters had a disastrous turn through the rotation, allowing a combined 40 runs in just 17.2 innings pitched. According to YES, the last time that the Yankees had starters allow six or more runs in five consecutive games was in August of 1945. ...
Tanaka gave up his 12 earned runs on 12 hits. He walked three and struck out two in just 3.1 innings work. In his last two starts against the Red Sox, he has allowed 18 earned runs in four innings.
George A. King III, Post:
Austin Romine was better than Masahiro Tanaka on the mound Thursday night against the Red Sox.George A. King III, Post (early edition):
Do you need any more information about how the first of four games between the blood rivals turned out?
Thanks to a rotation that is in a free fall, the Yankees have leaned on a very talented bullpen and a powerful lineup to win games lately.
So when the Red Sox ripped Tanaka for seven runs in the first inning on the way to a 19-3 beating in front of 37,591 at Fenway Park, it was easy to envision a position player taking the ball late in the game.
Seven runs in the first, five in the fourth, three in the fifth, one in the sixth and three against Romine in the eighth was the Red Sox flow chart. ...
Romine [who also pitched in last year's ALDS Game 3 against the Red Sox] gave up three runs in his inning, which was four fewer than Tanaka surrendered in the opening frame. ...
[T]he 19 runs were the most ever scored by Boston against the Yankees.
While fatigue might have played a part in the embarrassing loss because the Yankees arrived at their hotel after 5 a.m. Thursday, Tanaka flew here ahead of the club yet was pounded for 12 hits and 12 runs in 3.1 innings and seemed dazed when asked why.
"I don't know at this point," said Tanaka ... "I feel like the pitches weren't bad. I need to look at stuff and figure things out. ... I am not sure at this time why I wasn't able to get outs."
In his three starts before London disaster, Tanaka was being viewed by some as the Yankees' Game 1 starter in October thanks to a 2-0 ledger, and 13 strikeouts in 18.1 innings despite a 5.40 ERA.
Nevertheless, Thursday night's pounding has to make people rethink that. The 12 runs and 12 hits allowed were career highs for the right-hander, who is 7-6 with an ERA that soared to 4.79 after being at 4.00 when the miserable evening started. ...
Something about the bottom of the first inning against the Red Sox this season doesn't agree with Tanaka. On June 30 in London, the Red Sox scored six runs in the first before Tanaka could get the third out. ...
As hard as it is to believe, Tanaka was worse Thursday when the Red Sox scored seven runs and sent 11 batters to the plate.
Chris Thompson, Deadspin:
[Tanaka's] final line is pure carnage: 10 outs, 87 pitches, 12 hits, three walks, 12 runs, all of them earned. According to Baseball Reference, Tanaka's outing was the first time in franchise history that a Yankees starter has allowed 12 or more runs while recording 10 or fewer outs. David Wells in 1997 was the only other Yankees starter to allow as many as 11 runs while recording 10 or fewer outs. ...
This next fact is either amazing or heart-breaking or both: after Tanaka's historically awful start Thursday night, his earned run average against the Red Sox in 2019 has actually gone down. The only other time he's faced Boston this season, on June 29, Tanaka gave up six earned runs on 37 pitches, while recording just two outs. His ERA in that game was 81.00; his ERA against Boston after two outings now sits at a disgusting 40.50.
Dan Martin, Post:
Masahiro Tanaka made Yankees history at Fenway Park on Thursday night.
And not the good kind.
Tanaka was pummeled for a dozen runs — all earned — in a 19-3 loss to the Red Sox in a horrid outing to open a four-game series. ...
Tanaka didn't make it out of the fourth in his second straight brutal outing versus Boston.
The previous one came in London on June 29, when Tanaka gave up six runs and didn't even make it out of the first inning. And those are the only times Tanaka has faced Boston this year. ...
He likely wouldn't have survived the first Thursday, either, if the Yankees' bullpen didn't enter the game on fumes ...
It was the latest concerning sign from Tanaka, who has struggled with his splitter for much of the season — including in the sixth inning of his previous outing against the Rockies in The Bronx. ...
Combined with Thursday's nightmare, Tanaka has quickly gone from All-Star to question mark
For one night at Fenway Park, it was 2018 all over again for the Red Sox.
They looked like defending champions against the Yankees, humiliating Masahiro Tanaka in a 19-3 blowout Thursday night. ...
The Red Sox are in the midst of playing 11 consecutive games against the Yankees and Rays. ...
The Yankees were due for such a collapse after playing a draining three-game series at Target Field against the muscular Twins, but this was even uglier than anyone could have expected. The Red Sox are hoping to gain a little momentum from this win. ...
[T]here is no doubt Boston can be a dangerous opponent if it makes it to the postseason and past the wild-card game.
Mookie Betts is showing life as the leadoff hitter and has reached base safely in 22 straight games. ...
The 19 runs were the most the Red Sox scored against the Yankees since 1913. Their last stand is off to a roaring start.
So much for burying the Red Sox. In the hours after the Red Sox smacked the Yankees 19-3 at Fenway, the Bombers' focus turned back to themselves.Ken Davidoff, Post:
The starting pitching has been brutal for five straight games now, and time is running to improve it, with the MLB trade deadline next Wednesday, July 31. The Yankees' five starters had a disastrous turn through the rotation, allowing a combined 40 runs in just 17.2 innings pitched. According to YES, the last time that the Yankees had starters allow six or more runs in five consecutive games was in August of 1945.
When Masahiro Tanaka got chased in the first inning of his last start against the Red Sox, it was chalked up to the weird conditions at London Stadium. Now, after two straight starts where the Red Sox pounded him, there is plenty to dissect.
And why did Aaron Boone wait until the game was out of hand before he pulled Tanaka? It was reminiscent of Tuesday night in Minnesota, when he waited one batter too long to get Domingo German out of trouble.
The Yankees' clubhouse was sober and quiet on Thursday night after the 19-3 drubbing. ...
There is no reason to panic.
The sample size grows.Two New York Post headlines, six hours apart:
And with it, the need for reinforcements, be they internal, external or both.
Any hopes that the Yankees' starting-rotation funk would cease at one full turn ... evaporated quickly Thursday night at Fenway Park, as Masahiro Tanaka registered multiple career worsts and Austin Romine mopped up in a 19-3 drubbing the Yankees suffered at the hands of the rival Red Sox.
With less than a week to go before the July 31 trade deadline, the Yankees' pitching is experiencing the worst-timed meltdown since Charlie Sheen's a few years back. And no Yankee right now will boast of WINNING! ...
And with Tanaka allowing an astounding 12 runs and 12 hits in his 3.1 innings, his second straight non-quality start, the Yankees' starting pitchers have teamed for a ghastly 15.59 ERA, having allowed 41 earned runs and 12 homers over 23.2 innings pitched over their last six games. Loud and proud, everyone: Yeesh. ...
[T]he Yankees possess a cushion for a temporary malfunction. However, it's very fair to wonder about the overall efficacy of this pitching corps.
The Yankees' arms took such a beating in Minneapolis that they opted to place Brett Gardner, dealing with inflammation in his left knee, on the injured list Thursday and recalled lefty yo-yo Stephen Tarpley from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, giving them a 14th pitcher and leaving them with just a pair of bench players, Romine and Gio Urshela. That Boone proceeded to let Tanaka take a beating despite the abundance of pitchers, and that he turned to his current No.1 catcher Romine (with Gary Sanchez on the injured list) for his second career mound turn after Tarpley and Luis Cessa took their turns, showed just how badly so many guys needed a breather. ...
At this juncture on the calendar, this rough patch, this contained sample, can't be shrugged off.
July 25, 2019, 4:29 AM: "Why Yankees Should Be Able To Weather Absence Of Sanchez"
July 25, 2019, 10:51 AM: "Yankees Trade For Another Catcher After Gary Sanchez Injury"
Nice to see a Schadenfreude post - it's been too long!
ReplyDelete