ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Reality is starting to settle into the Yankees’ clubhouse, a room that grows more still with each numbing defeat that is lowlighted by a lineup that can’t hit.
Following Friday night’s 5-0 loss to the Rays in front of 26,535, you could have heard a Tropicana Field rat spit on cotton candy.
Seven singles were all the Yankees got against Alex Cobb, Brad Boxberger and Joel Peralta as their postseason dreams drifted further into darkness.
The fifth straight loss, which ties their season high, only enforced the fact the Yankees, eight games back of the AL East-leading Orioles and 4 ½ lengths behind the Mariners in the race for the second AL wild-card ticket, are in serious trouble of not playing October games for the second straight year.
“Every game we don’t win is one step closer to being home at the end of September,’’ Brett Gardner said. “The season is not over, we have a month and a half left. We are not out of it by any means.’’
Yet the Yankees are a lot closer to being out than in. And according to hitting coach Kevin Long, the lifeless bats are creeping into the batters’ psyche.
“It’s been tough, we are unable to score runs and no consistency,’’ said Long, whose hitters have scored seven runs in the five losses and are 2-for-31 (.065) with runners in scoring position in the five defeats. “When you are in close games and you need a big hit here and there and they are not coming, guys start to press a little bit and guys get down a little bit. That’s understandable.’’
Knowing how hard it has been for the Yankees to score, after Brandon McCarthy gave up two runs in the first when he allowed two singles and a walk, there was a real possibility they would be cooked early. And they were. McCarthy, 4-2 as a Yankee, gave up four runs (two earned) in 6 ¹/₃ innings.
“Stop giving up runs,’’ McCarthy said when asked if he thought the two-run deficit was too much to overcome. “There was no doomsday scenario out there.’’
The Yankees had a chance at Cobb in the fourth, when Derek Jeter reached on a leadoff infield single. Cobb (8-6), however, fanned Jacoby Ellsbury looking, struck out Mark Teixeira swinging and got Carlos Beltran (one hit in his last 19 at-bats) to hit into the teeth of the shift.
Chase Headley’s leadoff single in the fifth didn’t lead to anything, and when the Yankees loaded the bases with one out in the eighth and watched Cobb leave, their best scoring chance was in play with Ellsbury and Teixeira ready to hit.
This time, Ellsbury went down swinging and Teixeira struck out looking against Boxberger, a right-hander with a 96-mph fastball and Bugs Bunny changeup.
“Ells and I talked about not getting a pitch to hit,’’ Teixeira said. “We didn’t get it done.’’
And they haven’t for a while.
“It’s getting late. Every game is a must win at this point,’’ Teixeira said. “There is a sense of urgency. We just haven’t been able to score runs.’’
With 42 games remaining, Gardner talked about the possibility of a dark October and Teixeira classified every game as a must-win.
Each player is correct, because the hole the Yankees are in grows deeper and deeper with each futile at-bat.