Yankees Fade Quietly into the Night

After the first inning the Yankees were only able to amass three hits the rest of the way. Jeremy Bonderman, who entered the game with an ERA of over 13 was able to hold the Yankees to one run on three hits in six innings. This is the same Jeremy Bonderman who hasn't pitched in the Major Leagues since 2010. In his second game back in the Majors, he makes the Yankees look like a punch and judy team that can't get around a 90 MPH fastball. There are some nights where you have to top your hat to the pitcher because he was so darn good. Tonight was not one of those nights, as Bonderman deserved to get smacked around by this explosive Yankees offense that includes the likes of Robinson Cano and Mark Teixeira, both of whom went hitless today. Robinson Cano's batting average is continuing to slip, as he is now batting .276 on the season. Cano's slump has been so prolonged that it almost makes me feel like he will never get on another hot streak, even though that day will come. For example, Cano mashed a three-run home run in last night's game but was unable to follow that performance up with anything in today's matchup against a Mariners team that sent out a pitcher who hasn't faced Major League hitters in three years. It's kind of sad that the lone Yankees run scored on a groundout by Travis Hafner in the first inning and the remainder of the game featured a whole lot of goose eggs.

Hiroki Kuroda pitched better than his line indicates. He went 6.1 innings and allowed four runs to the Mariners. The four runs all came in the fourth inning as Kuroda couldn't find command of his fastball and was walking men. In between two of those walks were two big hits by players who are hitting .218 and .224 respectively in Brendan Ryan and Jason Bay. I thought that Kuroda would thrive pitching in a pitcher's ballpark. He didn't allow any home runs but was still on the losing end of a clunker where his offense couldn't back him up. With his loss tonight, Kuroda falls to 6-5 on the season when he should really be 7-3, at least. Like when he was with the Dodgers, the Yankees have a hard time finding runs in support of Kuroda. It's some kind of epidemic that has reached both coasts.

Tomorrow evening the Yankees will try to do something with their bats other than keep them on their shoulders. Two lefties will take the mound as Andy Pettitte will go for the Yankees. On the other side, Joe Saunders will take the ball for the Mariners. Saunders pitched well against the Yankees last year during his time with the Orioles. The Yankees are looking for different results this time around.