📌 Join the BPCrew Chapter in your city and meet up with more Yankees fans! 👉 CLICK HERE
(Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)

Yankees Game 5: Offense ruins Pineda debut

(Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
(Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)

New York Yankees 0 — Toronto Blue Jays 4

It was Michael Pineda‘s job to lose in Spring but his time is now and he made his first regular season start for the New York Yankees today at Toronto. Pineda would give up a leadoff single to former Yankee Melky Cabrera but he would respond with a strikeout of Rasmus and two fly outs to right field for a scoreless first inning. In the second inning, Adam Lind led off with a booming double to center field and the Blue Jays attempted to play small ball with a failed bunt. Catcher Josh Thole would hit a bloop single to left field that was enough to bring Lind home from second for the first run of the game. The Yankees would get a gift out when Thole was caught stealing on what seemed like a missed hit-and-run play. This would be huge as a double followed and Pineda responded by striking out and keeping the Jays from scoring.

Until the third inning, the Yankees had no answer to R.A. Dickey and his knuckleball. Francisco Cervelli opened with a double in the third inning but rookies Yangervis Solarte and dean Anna whiffed on the knuckleball and that left Cervelli standing on second with two outs. Just when it seemed like the Yankees would let another opportunity to score go for nothing, Jacoby Ellsbury hit a line drive to centerfielder Colby Rasmus. With two outs and the Yankees struggling mightily against Dickey, third base coach waved in Cervelli from second for a play at the plate. Catcher Thole straddled the plate and seemed to block the plate without the ball as Cervelli came in. The ball and Cervelli arrived at almost the exact same time and while it seemed like Cervelli’s left foot touched home before he was tagged on the leg, home plate umpire Dana DeMuth called Cervelli out.

Controversy ensued. Joe Girardi came out requesting a review of this bang-bang play at home and specifically regarding Thole’s positioning at home plate in regards to the new rules meant to prevent home plate collisions. The umpires reviewed the positioning of Thole and determined that the ‘out’ call was upheld and that Thole gave Cervelli a sufficient lane to home plate. To the eyes of this viewer (and many) Cervelli appeared to be safe at home regardless of Thole’s blocking of home plate. Too bad the umpires ruling is the only one that matters.

While the attempt at tying the game went by the wayside, Michael Pineda gave Yankees fans something to be excited for. Pineda would go on a nine-consecutive out streak before a fifth inning double. He would induce five groundouts and strike out two Blue Jays as he gave the Yankees plenty of time to comeback in this pitcher’s duel.

In the sixth inning, the Yankees got a strong start with a Jacoby Ellsbury infield single and Derek Jeter walk but a double play started by the pitcher put that rally down as quick as it started. The Yankees also got two guys on in the seventh inning but a pop out to first base showed the frequent inefficiencies with runners in scoring position. The Yankees went 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position.

On 83 pitches, Michael Pineda allowed one run on five hits while walking none and striking out six over six innings. Enough to get a win with a normal, fairly productive offense. But this offense is not being the productive offense expected of them.

In the eighth inning, much like the sixth inning, Jacoby Ellsbury would hit a single and Jeter would walk. Unfortunately Beltran would strike out and Brian McCann would hit a short ground out to just advance the runners. Current closer Sergio Santos would come in for the four-out save and got Alfonso Soriano to chase a bouncing slider to end the rally once more.

Vidal Nuno and David Phelps combined to get the seventh inning scoreless but the eighth inning would just about shut the door on the Yankees attempts at a comeback. After getting the first out of the eighth inning, David Phelps would serve up Melky Cabrera’s second home run of the series to give the Blue Jays a two-run lead. Colby Rasmus would hit a ground-rule double to right field before slugger Jose Bautista hit a two-run home run to give the Yankees a bigger hole to climb out of.

One-run lead, manageable and reasonable, but a four-run lead is like a mountain to climb when down to your last three outs. A two-out single and a walk in the ninth inning was the best attempt at a rally but the Yankees would be shutout by the Blue Jays.Jacoby Ellsbury, Francisco Cervelli and Yangervis Solarte were the offense of today’s game. Ellsbury had three hits while Cervelli and Solarte had a pair. Not the formula for a winning offense.

 

Win – R.A. Dickey (1-1)

Loss – Michael Pineda (0-1)

Save – Sergio Santos (2)

 

Notables

Yankees

*Francisco Cervelli – 2 for 3, 2B

*Jacoby Ellsbury – 3 for 5

Blue Jays

*Melky Cabrera – 2 for 4, R, Solo Home Run (2) in the 8th, RBI (2)

*Josh Thole – 1 for 2, RBI (1)

 

Current Yankees Record: 2-3