JA Happ got roughed up and the Yankees offense went quiet when it mattered most, as the A's clinched the series with a 6-4 win over the Yankees on Wednesday night (8/21) in Oakland.
The loss puts the Yankees (83-45) a game behind the Dodgers (84-44) for the best record in baseball.
The Yankees once again drew first blood on the scoreboard, when Mike Tauchman singled home a run off A's starter Mike Fiers to put the Yankees ahead 1-0 in the second, before like German the previous night in the bottom half of that inning, Happ gave It all back. Khris Davis (2runHR) Marcus Semien 2runHR) went deep off Happ propelling the A's to a 5-1 lead after 5.
In the 6th, the Yankees chased Fiers (Who was dealing) out of the game with the bases loaded and one out still down 5-1. But all the Yankees could muster was a Mike Tauchman sac fly and therefore still trailed by 3 with 9 outs to play.
In the 7th now down 6-2 (After a Stephen Piscotty solo HR off Chad Green) the Yankees rallied again as Mike Ford went deep before a Didi Gregorious RBI double inched the Yankees closer as they only trailed 6-4. But that would be as far as they got, as DJ LeMaihue and Aaron Jude struck out with runners on the corners and one out to end the threat, that would not have been over if it wasn't for a sensational catch by Jackson Profar, who dove on his backside in Right field to rob Camron Maybin of a hit with a runner on first and still no outs. Had that ball been a hit, the Yankees would've had men on the corners with 0 outs. But it wasn't meant to be as Liam Hendricks worked a 5 out save sealing a 6-4 A's win.
MVP: Liam Hendricks
THOUGHTS:
I don't know what it is, but we just can't win in Oakland. Tonight it was JA Happ who was the "GOAT' of this Yankees loss in Oakland as he allowed 5 runs in not even 5 innings of work. Kudos to our bullpen (AKA Chad Green) for keeping us in it, but unfortunately our offense couldn't get the big hit when it mattered the most. It's a rough stretch right now and while that stinks because we are in a stretch of playing good teams, but you have to remember we are the Yankees! When we need too we will come through. That has been the case this season as well. Whenever we have needed a guy to step up, it's happened and I don't expect that to stop now. This team has been through too much to not find it's groove. Just be patient, it will happen soon enough.
Just take a deep breath, clear your mind and salvage the final game of this series on Thursday.
STATS TO KNOW:
Since 2012, the Yankees are 7-20 in Oakland. The worst in any ballpark in that span. (Via "NY Yankees Vids and chat")
JA Happ has a 5.58 ERA this season. That is the worst by any qualified Yankees pitcher in a non-baseball-strike season. That is also the 2nd-worst in baseball this season with the worst being Aaron Sanchez of the Blue jays (5.88).
For the first time ever, DJ and Judge have gone 0 for 5 in the same game.
UP NEXT:
The Yankees will look to salvage the final game of this 3 game series on Thursday night (8/22) when they send Masahiro Tanaka heads to the mound against Tanner Roark of Oakland.
Game time is 9:37PM.
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