New York Yankees shatter second longest losing skid since 2007 – MLB Review
After receiving five consecutive defeats, the condition of the Yankees camp could easily be predicted. Tense environment, furious manager Joe Girardi and dejected veterans Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter was the picture at that time. They had to leave for
another road trip and until now they had lost five consecutive games, the second highest losing skid since 2007.
With an ambition to align the entire team, the Yankees went to Florida to take on the Tampa Bay Rays for a two-game series for the first time in the 2011 regular season. Although the pressure of back-to-back defeats was revolving in the camp, it could not
be possible to move forward without reassembling. Girardi encouraged the whole camp and motivated them for their dominance.
The time was not in the Yankees’ favour. Girardi was right about what he had said after the last outing against the Boston Red Sox. Once a bad time start, it just kept going until it shatters hopes.
The Yankees had not thought what they received in the first outing at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on Monday, May 16. With an RBI double of Eric Nunez in the second and a three-run homer from Curtis Granderson in the fifth, the Yankees were relaxed,
expecting to win. The outing, however suddenly overturned into the Rays’ favour.
Allan James Burnett, who had given only a single run over his first five innings, received six hits and two homers for five runs in the sixth inning before he handed the ball over to Luis Ayala. Just after three pitches Sam Fuld launched a three run homer
and then B.J. Upton took his club to a decisive 6-5 lead.
It was the first time the Yankees have lost this many games in a row since their seven innings skid in 2007.
Before this outing, the club’s co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner had made an encouraging statement about his team.
"It's early, but the team needs to get it together," Steinbrenner said before the game. "We've got too much talent to be swept by anybody at Yankee Stadium, even if we're playing the '27 Yankees. It is not acceptable. We need to start doing what I know we
can do."
However, just after this outing, the Yankees were sure to imagine the furious face of Steinbrenner back in New York.
As the series was for only two outings, it was the last chance for the club to exhibit their retaliation. With a new plan, new pitcher and new ambition, the club landed on May 17.
The plan worked and the Bronx Bombers made their way back into the series with a commanding 6-2 win. Their win was important to shatter the six-game skid, second highest since the seven-game skid in 2007.
Alex Rodriguez had accepted the pile of criticism, but now he was not ready to let the critics express their disparagement. Alex hammered two home-runs, one each in the fourth and the sixth inning to shatter the scoreless outing of the Yankees. His hits
gave confidence to the middle rotation, which elevated the lead 6-1 until the top of the ninth inning.
Curtis Dickerson, Derek Jeter and Brett Gardner presented their original class and took the club back on the winning track.
While the batting had achieved their confidence back, Ivan Nova on the other hand held the opposition to a single run in just over five innings. David Robertson and Joba Chamberlain were also in full form to help the club shatter their losing skid.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
Tags: