The Yankees stink? Really? ESPN New York’s Ian O’Connor thinks so:
The Yankees stink.
They don’t catch the ball, they don’t hit it and they don’t pitch it out of the bullpen, either. Rivera is still Rivera, but “Enter Sandman” didn’t sound so ominous Sunday night when Rivera entered the arena with the Red Sox holding a 7-5 lead.
This morning, the Yankees own one more victory than the New York Mets. That’s right, one more victory than the Mets.
The Yanks are getting no pop from the corner outfield spots. They come across as slow, old and athletically challenged at too many positions in the field.
Their eighth-inning guy, Rafael Soriano, is making a genius of Cashman, the executive who didn’t want him, and appears to be auditioning for Carl Pavano’s role in “American Idle.” The overstuffed Joba Chamberlain, a phenom in a different life, still has that remarkable talent for throwing the wrong pitch at the wrong time.
For his fifth consecutive loss, Girardi posted a lineup that didn’t include a single batter hitting at least .300.
This is what happens when an aging team loses nine of 12, including three straight to Boston, and endures some unfortunate controversy.
Do the Yankees really stink? Time will tell, but I am not prepared to admit that just yet.