Yankees Sliding Back

There is no question that the Yankees needed to win this game against the Toronto Blue Jays. They came up short again, much like they have a lot in recent must-win games against teams they should have beaten. Tonight, Hiroki Kuroda went only six innings allowing three earned runs and it seemed like Anthony Gose was at the center of it all. The outfielder went 3-4 with a solo home run in the sixth against the Yankee starter. The Yankees were only down by two runs but it seemed like a mountain of runs by the way they have been scoring over their last handful of games. The Yankees are not clicking at all right now, and this game may cost them a chance at the postseason. However, if they take care of business against the San Francisco Giants in Yankee Stadium, the Rays will be waiting for them promptly afterwards. The Yankees must sweep the Tampa Bay Rays if they want a chance to be the second wildcard. If the Yankees lose a game to the Giants then lose one or two to the Rays their playoff chances are effectively over. This is why Joe Girardi cannot be bringing Joba Chamberlain into a game where the Yankees are still technically in it. Joba couldn't record an out tonight, as his Yankee days are pretty much behind him at this point. If this was Joba Chamberlain's final meaningful appearance with the Yankees he showed exactly why the Yankees have not been using him. His fall from stardom has been rash and ugly. He made his electric debut in Toronto in 2007 and exits the exact opposite way. The same goes for Phil Hughes, who may have pitched his last meaningful game with the Yankees last night. The Yankees were able to come back down 3-0 but the same thing failed to happen tonight, which is why the question stands regarding why Chamberlain was brought into a close game. Chances are that he will give up runs and he did just that tonight on a BOMB by Adam Lind into the second deck. The Blue Jays are loving this spoiler role against the Yankees and they are doing to them what The Yankees did to the Blue Jays during the whole first part of their season series. Luckily for the Yankees, the Orioles lost and Tampa Bay is losing to the Rangers late in the game.