The Yankees entered the fourth month of the season with a 41-40 record and 2½ games out of first place in third.
They exited at 55-52 and failed to tread water in an AL East race that might not be decided until the final weekend of the season.
Will the Yankees be in contention for an October date by then? Or will watching Derek Jeter say goodbye be the only reason to visit The Bronx and turn on YES and WFAN in September?
Four months in, the Yankees have survived despite losing 80 percent of the Opening Day rotation to serious injuries. Lately, Carlos Beltran has started to resemble the hitter the Yankees thought they bought for three years and $45 million, but more punch is needed from a lineup whose best player recently has been leadoff hitter Brett Gardner. And what to make of the bullpen lately?
Here is a look at July, a month they lost Masahiro Tanaka to an ulnar collateral ligament injury that might require Tommy John surgery and CC Sabathia for the rest of the season thanks to arthroscopic right knee surgery.
MVP: GM Brian Cashman
Cashman didn’t land Jon Lester, David Price or Cliff Lee. Alex Rios, Josh Willingham, and Marlon Byrd didn’t come through the door, either.
Yet, a GM’s top priority for a team in contention is to improve in July and Cashman did that.
On Thursday, Cashman added infielder/outfielder Martin Prado via a trade with the Diamondbacks for power-hitting prospect Pete O’Brien, acquired infielder Stephen Drew from the Red Sox for Kelly Johnson and claimed right-handed reliever Esmil Rogers off waivers from the Blue Jays.
Cashman’s tinkering started July 6 when he got right-hander Brandon McCarthy and $2.1 million by giving the Diamondbacks Vidal Nuno. McCarthy is 3-0 with a 2.55 ERA in four starts as a Yankee.
The next day, Cashman promoted right-hander Shane Greene from Scranton-Wilkes Barre (Triple-A) and the rookie is 2-1 with a 3.33 ERA in four starts.
On July 22, Cashman obtained third baseman Chase Headley and $1 million from the Padres for Yangervis Solarte and minor league pitcher Rafael DePaula. In nine games the switch-hitting Headley is batting .303 (10-for-33).
LVP: Ichiro Suzuki
In July, the Yankees faced three left-handed starters in 26 games, so the 40-year-old outfielder got plenty of regular playing time, something he didn’t receive in June when opponents started eight lefties.
And for the third straight month, Ichiro’s numbers went down. He finished July batting .224 (17-for-76) with a .552 OPS after hitting .357 (15-for-42) in April, .286 (12-for-42) in May, .257 (19-for-47) in June.
Tuesday night, Joe Girardi started switch-hitting neophyte Zoilo Almonte against Texas right-hander Nick Martinez instead of Ichiro. Wednesday, Ichiro sat against righty Colby Lewis, against whom he was 19-for-53 (.358).
Game of the Month
July 22: Yankees 2, Rangers 1 (14 innings)
Hours after arriving from San Diego in a trade, Chase Headley wins the game for the Yankees with a 14th-inning RBI single. A groundout in the 12th stranded two runners, but two innings later, Headley had players he never met pounding on his back in celebration.
What’s ahead?
After a weekend trip to Boston and three games against the faltering Red Sox, the schedule gets tougher with four against the Tigers and three vs. the Indians at home. Then it’s three against the AL East-leading Orioles in Baltimore and three in St. Petersburg against the surging Rays. Three games against the awful Astros and three more with the White Sox in The Bronx might offer a soft stretch but then it’s three in Detroit and Toronto.
Waiting on Tanaka
The Yankees could know by Monday if Tanaka’s rehab program is working or not. It will be three weeks since Tanaka received a PRP shot in the right elbow.
Five key stats
30: The number of remaining regular season home games for Derek Jeter.
8: Hits Jeter needs to tie Honus Wagner for sixth place on the all-time list with 3,430.
10-for-27; .370.: What Francisco Cervelli hit in eight straight starts at catcher when Brian McCann filled in for Mark Teixeira at first base.
19-for-68; .288/.832 OPS: Carlos Beltran’s July.
6: Wins in July by pitchers who arrived that month: Brandon McCarthy (3), Shane Greene (2), Jeff Francis (1).