NY YANKEES: Loss, Losses & Lost!

 The Yankees were trailing the Detroit Tigers 4-0 in the bottom of the ninth inning when Ichiro Suzuki hit a two run homerun to cut the lead in half. Soon after the latest version of " Mr October " Raul Ibanez would hit a two out two run bomb of his own to tie the game. The Yankees would eventually lose the game 6-4 in twelve innings but the biggest loss came in the top of the twelfth when their captain Derek Jeter ranged to his left for a ground ball off the bat of Jhonny Peralta and stumbled to the ground. Jeter caught the grounder but never got up. On the play Jeter suffered a fracture to his left ankle causing him to miss the remainder of the post season.

      For the first time since 1996 the New York Yankees had to play a post season game without their captain Derek Jeter at shortstop. Before the injury Jeter was having his typical post season. He was hitting .333 with one double, one triple and 2 RBIs.  Reports today indicate that Jeter did not suffer any ligament damage but will still require surgery. The Captain will be sent to Charlotte, North Carolina to see foot and ankle specialist Dr. Robert Anderson. The injury is not career threatening and their is approximately a three month recovery period. Utility man Jayson Nix got the start at shortstop for game two.

       In game one Andy Pettitte went 6.2 innings giving up seven hits and two runs. In game two Yankees starter Hiroki Kuroda was pitching a perfect game for the first five innings only to lose 3-0 giving the Tigers a 2-0 lead in the American League Championship Series. The Yankees certainly have pitched well enough in this series to be up 2-0 instead of down. 

      The pitching and absence of Jeter are not the reason why their losing. It's the offense !! I said several times since spring training this team needs to hit in the clucth. Hey ! Maybe I should have said hit period ! Nobody is hitting ! The team is hitting .205  in the post season. Their OBP is .277 a .326 SLG and an OPS of .603. I've always been a rah rah glass half full kind of Yankees fan but this has been the worst display of hitting I have ever seen. Their big hitters look at strikes and swing at balls. Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, Nick Swisher, and Alex Rodriguez are completely lost at the plate. It's embarrassing. In the first two games of the ALCS they faced Doug Fister and Anibal Sanchez. They loaded the bases three times against Fister and came away with no runs. 

Sanchez shut them out for for seven innings giving up three hits. Look I'm not trying to take anything away from the Tigers pitching staff but their not exactly Cy Young and Bob Gibson. 

       Many consider Cano one of games best hitters. He's hitting .063. That's not a type-o .063 with 4 strikeouts. Currently he's 0 for his last 26 ! I don't think Cano could hit this poorly if he tried too. I can't explain it. Granderson's hitting .115 with 14 strikeouts. Swisher .154 8 k's and A-Rod 1.30 with 12 k's. I'll go easy on A-Rod because he's been the whipping boy in New York the past week and he has hit a few balls hard. I said a few. Granderson reminds me of Alfonso Soriano in 2002. Just throw it low and a away a foot of the plate and he'll swing and miss. Wow 14 strikeouts. But what did you expext from a guy that hit .232 on the season with 195 strikeouts. In his post season career Swisher is 1 for 39 with runners in scoring position. Need I say more. He's a free agent at the end of the year. I hate to say it but he may have worn out his welcome with the organization with his post season performance. Mark Teixeira is doing okay. He's hitting .320 but has only 2 RBIs with no home runs. Ichiro is hitting .273 with one home run and five RBIs.

       It's time somebody step up. Tuesday they face Tigers ace Justin Verlander. He's great but he can be beat. If this team is going to have any chance of winning Cano and A-Rod have to get going NOW !! I'd like to see Teixeira get some power going too. A-Rod if you want to stop getting booed then get it going !! Swisher if you want to be back in pinstripes next season then let's go ! Granderson stop swinging for the fences and make contact good things will happen !

      Some people have been saying this is Cano's team for the next generation of fans. Well with our Captain Derek out it now is Cano's team so it's time he take control put this team on his back and get this series back to the Bronx !!!!