ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — CC Sabathia admitted flushing a two-run lead in the middle innings last night left a bruise.
In reality a 4-2 loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field is the first real step toward a dark October for the second time in five years.
After two straight defeats to the AL East leaders those recent 10 wins in a 12 game stretch can accurately be described as a colossal tease.
“This one hurts,’’ said Sabathia, who blanked the Rays through five innings and gave away a 2-0 lead in the sixth when the Rays scored three runs because the big lefty admitted to nibbling too much.
With 33 games remaining the Yankees are 4 1/2 lengths behind the A’s for the second AL wild-card ticket. For those still holding hope, ignoring the tease and believe the Yankees can win the AL East, they are seven back of the Rays who lead the Red Sox by a mere three percentage points.
Fresh off a four-game sweep of the already-packed-it-in Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees were poised to cop two of three from the Rays.
Instead, they turn to Ivan Nova today against Alex Cobb and beg him to help them avoid getting swept before they open a three-game series against the Blue Jays, who they are 12-1 against this season, in Toronto tomorrow night.
When the Yankees arrived in Florida they appeared to be a lock to play meaningful games in September. There was an anticipation that Yankee Stadium would be alive and those who abandoned the Yankees on YES would rejoin the telecasts.
After watching the Yankees score four runs in the first two games and Hiroki Kuroda and Sabathia get beat, even three games against the Blue Jays don’t provide confidence the Yankees will get healthy in Canada.
Everyone knows Sabathia hasn’t been Sabathia this season. Everyone also has a theory. The elbow operation last October robbed him of velocity early. He lost too much weight. All the innings have caught up to him. Some body part is ailing. He has denied all of them, but he is 11-11.
Still, for the first five frames last night he was vintage Sabathia. Quickly he turned into the 2013 model, losing the plate and giving up clutch hits.
“It was maybe the best five innings he threw all year,’’ manager Joe Girardi said. “We need to win games, that’s the frustrating part.
Last year on July 18 the Yankees led the AL East by 10 games and appeared to be cruising. By Sept. 4 they were tied with the Orioles and rebounded to finish two games ahead of the Birds.
Some blamed Girardi being too tight for the slide. He snapped at a heckler in Chicago outside the Yankees’ clubhouse. After the 10-game bulge vanished, Girardi got into a heated argument with a Post writer in Baltimore who asked for a clarification of a Girardi answer he didn’t hear.
Asked about the difference between leading and chasing, Girardi pointed to the calendar.
“Each game that ticks off the schedule is important,’’ Girardi said. “It’s the same as when you are leading but it’s different because you are the one playing catch up. You can’t afford to have a bad day.’’
Friday was terrible; last night, awful.
If Nova and the Yankees’ bats can’t deliver a win today, pinstriped body bags and toe tags will be added to the equipment list for a team that has proved it can tease but may not please.