A lack of timely hitting doomed the Yankees as they lost their fourth game in a row on Saturday, a 3-2 contest to the Mariners. If those words feel eerily familiar to you, they should. Just a day after going 0 for 12 with runners in scoring position and stranding 12 men on base, the Yankees outdid themselves Saturday afternoon by again going 0 for 12 with RISP and this time stranding 14. Seattle ace Felix Hernandez was uncharacteristically off, lasting just five innings and walking a career-high six batters for just the fourth time in his career, but the Yankee offense could frustratingly only manage a single run against him.
Carlos Beltran did his best to drag the Yankee offense to a win, driving in both New York runs with a 4 for 5 day that included three extra-base hits. A double in the third inning scored Mark Teixeira from first base to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead, and a solo homer in the seventh brought the Yankees back to within one after the M’s scored three in the fifth. Beltran picked up his fourth hit with a two-out single in the ninth that eventually put the tying run at third base before Chase Headley grounded out to end the game.
CC Sabathia’s second start of the year went similarly to his first, as he cruised early on but got into trouble in the middle innings. After pitching four scoreless to start the game, he started the fifth inning by giving up a long home run to Leonys Martin that landed deep in the right field bleachers. Luis Sardinas followed that up with a single. After getting two outs on grounders, Robinson Cano singled sharply up the middle to give the Mariners a 2-1 lead. Nelson Cruz followed that up with a double down the left field line, plating Seattle’s third run and chasing Sabathia from the game.
The Play: Cano’s RBI single in the fifth (+.161 WPA)
Cano’s single dealt the biggest blow to the Yankees’ chances in this one, as it gave Seattle a lead it wouldn’t relinquish. Cano was 1 for 3 with a walk on the day, and the RBI was his 10th of the year.
Top Performers
Carlos Beltran: 4 for 5, 1 HR, 2 2B, 1 R, 2 RBI
Nelson Cruz: 2 for 4, 2 2B, 1 RBI
Notes
-The game marked Sabathia’s 200th start as a Yankee. He became the 17th pitcher in history to make that many starts for the Yanks and the 10th pitcher since 1900 to start 200 games for two different teams. Of that list, he joins Tommy John and Mike Mussina as the only three to do it in pinstripes.
-Alex Rodriguez returned to the lineup after receiving a day off Friday, but his struggles continued with an 0-for-5 day with three strikeouts. A-Rod is now 3 for 30 on the season with one home run.
-Chase Headley stole his second base in as many days, and third of the season. As was mentioned in yesterday’s recap, Headley had no steals last year, but is now tied for the team lead with Jacoby Ellsbury through the team’s first ten games.
-The Yankee bullpen threw 4 and 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of Sabathia, allowing just three hits. Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller each struck out the side in their respective innings. Yankee relievers have allowed just nine earned runs in 32 and 1/3 innings so far in 2016, with 43 strikeouts. Aroldis Chapman is still a few weeks away from returning.
The Quote
“It’s perspective…if this happens in July or August you don’t think too much of it…but you want to go out and do well. Two things you can control when you come to the park are your attitude and your effort, and I feel pretty good about both.” -Alex Rodriguez on his early struggles
The Highlight: Beltran’s solo shot in the seventh
Beltran was the bright spot in the Yankee lineup Saturday, highlighting a 4 for 5 day with his third homer of the season in the seventh inning and cutting Seattle’s lead to 3-2. The shot to right traveled 370 feet and came off his bat at 94 mph.
Up Next
The Yankees will try to salvage something of this three-game set with Seattle as they play the finale tomorrow afternoon. Masahiro Tanaka will take the mound for New York for his third start of the year. He’s posted a 3.38 ERA with 10 strikeouts and five walks through 10 and 2/3 innings so far this season. Taking the hill for the Mariners will be Hisashi Iwakuma, who has allowed 5 runs in 11 innings so far in 2016. Game time is 1:05 pm and will be televised on the YES Network.
Lead photo: Noah K. Murray / USATSI