ARLINGTON, Texas — With two months remaining in Derek Jeter’s baseball life, the Yankees’ hopes of getting the Captain an October nightcap to a Hall of Fame career are melting quicker than ice cubes in the Texas sun.
After losing two of three to the morbid Rangers, there is no other way to put it: The Yankees are walking a slippery slope.
Wednesday night’s 3-2 defeat in front of 46,599 at Globe Life Park, coupled with the AL East-leading Orioles beating the Angels, dropped the Yankees 5 ½ lengths back of the Birds.
That’s the biggest deficit since the Yankees were 6 ½ out on June 9.
“We seem to bring out the best in a lot of teams,’’ Derek Jeter said. “They beat us, bottom line. You have to be ready to play.’’
Hiroki Kuroda, the last standing member of the Opening Day rotation, gave up three runs in the first inning and appeared headed for a spanking. Instead, the veteran right-hander provided the Yankees a chance to win by going seven innings in which he allowed three runs, nine hits and threw a season-high 115 pitches. He is 7-7.
Yet, Colby Lewis, who lost to the Yankees in The Bronx on July 24, gave up solo homers to Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury — and nothing else in seven innings. He allowed two runs and four hits and is 7-8.
After Lewis gave up a third-inning, two-out single to Carlos Beltran in the third, the Yankees didn’t get a baserunner the rest of the game as Lewis, Neal Cotts and Neftali Feliz retired the final 19 Yankees.
One night after denting the plate a dozen times, the Yankees were held to two runs and four hits.
“That’s something we talked about before we left for the [All-Star] break,” manager Joe Girardi said. “We needed to be more consistent. If we get consistency from our offense, we’re going to win a lot more. Our pitching has done a good job. If we score runs, we’re going to win games.’’
By 4 p.m. Thursday, the Yankees likely either will have a much-needed right-handed bat and/or a starting pitcher. Nevertheless, considering how wildly inconsistent the lineup has been across the first four months, you wonder if the need is for more than one bat.
Gardner’s leadoff homer in the first was his 14th of the year and fourth in three games.
It was the sixth straight game the Yankees have hit two homers, but the recent muscle flexing wasn’t enough to avoid losing two of three to what is easily the worst team in the American League.
Even when Kuroda’s quality start is added to the equation, the Yankees starters haven’t pitched well in their last six outings. In that stretch, they’re 2-2 with a 5.00 ERA.
After winning seven of eight following the All-Star break, the Yankees have dropped four of five as they head to Boston for a weekend series.
“The two-seamer wasn’t there and the slider wasn’t sharp,” Kuroda said. “That’s why I gave up runs in the first. I felt like I wasn’t sharp all day, but I felt if I battled, I would have a chance.’’
Yet, giving up three runs in the first created a ditch the Yankees couldn’t escape.
“Anytime you don’t play up to expectations, it’s disappointing,’’ said Gardner, who was furious with umpire Ed Hickox for calling him out on strikes in the second. “We got a lot of time left and plenty of time to turn it around, but it’s obvious we have to get things going soon.’’
Even then, it might be too late already.