Yanks leave Tampa feeling empty

Yanks leave Tampa feeling empty

J. Meric/Getty Images

Phil Hughes labors through 4-2/3 innings Sunday, throwing 99 pitches and allowing two runs against the Tampa Bay Rays.

RAYS 3, YANKEES 0

ST. PETERSBURG There are probably specific strands of DNA twitching within the Steinbrenner children right now, but as the Yankees dressed for their charter flight Sunday after a 3-0 loss to the R ays, Joe Girardi and his players were preaching resiliency and even-handedness in the face of their disappointing start.

Its three games theres still a bunch left, Curtis Granderson said. A whole bunch still left. This wont be the only three-game stretch where we play bad and not win.

We reset.

After getting swept by the Rays, perhaps their primary competition in the American League East, the Yankees are 0-3 for only the eighth time in franchise history and for the first time in 14 years.

Of course, the Yankees recovered nicely last time, winning the 1998 World Series and recording one of the greatest seasons in baseball history. But when Phil Hughes effort Sunday counts as the best start of any Yankee so far this season, you know the club is scuffling.

While the Rays Jeremy Hellickson was celebrating his 25th birthday by throwing 8.2 shutout innings against the Yankees, Hughes could not get through the fifth i nning because his pitch count soared early. He allowed two runs and five hits in 4.2 innings, throwing 99 pitches. His work actually lowered the Yankee starters ERA from 8.48 to 6.06.

Several Yankees, including Girardi, harped on the idea that the Yanks had bashed multiple line drives right at Rays fielders during the series, particularly Sunday. When Girardi was asked a question about Hellicksons performance, he at first praised the pitcher and then said, I dont want to take anything away from the kid, but I thought we swung the bats pretty well. We lined out a number of times and thats going to happen. Thats baseball.

Shifty Joe Maddons spray charts and newfangled defensive alignments worked as, time and time again, the Yankees were hitting the ball into the teeth of their secondary over there, Alex Rodriguez said.

Everything they did worked out perfectly and everything we did worked out imperfectly, Rodriguez added. Tip your cap and move on to the next city.

In this case, its Baltimore, where the Orioles are a shocking 3-0. Your move, Ivan Nova. Last years pitching wunderkind, Nova is coming off a lousy spring and making his first start Monday night.

As for Hughes, he gave up a homer to Carlos Pena, who clobbered the Yankees all weekend, and an RBI triple to his personal nemesis, Matt Joyce, whos 5-for-11 against him. Raul Ibanez probably shouldve caught Joyces ball, which came off a broken bat. But Ibanez misplayed it while charging and the ball skipped by him. I screwed up, Ibanez said.

There were a lot of drawn-out at-bats that kind of killed my pitch count, Hughes said. Ive got to put guys away early in counts and have some quick innings to move things along.

The Yankees, who plated 12 runs in the first two losses, managed just three hits. When they had chances, they didnt convert. With runners on second and third and one out in the fourth, Hellick son got Nick Swisher to popup and retired Ibanez on a drive to center. With runners on first and third and two out in the sixth, Hellickson struck out Swisher.

The Rays celebrated on the field for the third straight day, continuing a remarkable recent run against a club that used to batter them regularly. The Rays have won seven straight against the Yanks dating back to last season.

One bit of solace the Yanks may be able to take from the weekend the events in Detroit, where the Tigers swept the Red Sox. Boston and the Yanks have been 0-3 at the same time only once before, 1966.

Who knows where this all ends up. But the Yankees say they have plenty to give them hope right now.

Weve all been through three-game losing streaks, but because its the beginning of the year, it seems to be magnified,
Girardi said. But this has been a team that over the years has been very resilient and I expect to see that again. We kept tell ing them, Keep swinging the bats, keep swinging the bats.

And we did. But it didnt work out.