Phil Hughes might want to think about pitching eight innings today. Anything less and he’s going to have to rely on a setup crew that looks about as competent as that World Cup referee.
For the second straight night, the Yankees bullpen allowed a 1-0 deficit to grow to 4-0, reducing the chances of a late-inning comeback.
“We need to get outs,” manager Joe Girardi said. “These guys need to help us out. Right now they’re struggling a little bit too. When you’re not scoring runs you can’t afford to make too very many mistakes sometimes you see more mistakes.”
If the Yankees hitters were not putrid right now, the relievers would be the target of the most criticism in The Bronx.
Against the Mets last night, Chan Ho Park came in to pitch the eighth inning with the Yankees holding a 1-0 lead. He proceeded to walk No. 9 hitter Ruben Tejada, then he gave up back-to-back doubles to Jose Reyes and Angel Pagan that made the score 3-0.
“When you get behind the first hitter and walk him, you’re asking for trouble,” Girardi said.
Park’s ERA is now a robust 6.16. Boone Logan replaced Park and was not much better, giving up three hits and a run over 1 2/3 innings of work.
On Thursday night, it was Joba Chamberlain, Damaso Marte and Park who turned a 3-1 Phillies lead into a 7-1 Phillies victory over the course of a disastrous ninth inning.
The Yankees bullpen has been inconsistent all season. Mariano Rivera returned to form after a rough week in May, but the other pitchers have been up and down.
His walk to Tejada was unforgivable. The Mets second baseman entered the game batting .242 with just one walk in his 11 games this year. Park fell behind him 2-0 before getting it to a full count, and eventually walking him.
Reyes doubled to right field on the eighth pitch he saw from Park, then scored along with Tejada on Pagan’s double to left.
“That’s the big leagues, you can’t make mistakes,” catcher Francisco Cervelli said.
Logan got out of the ninth, then gave up three hits in the ninth, including an RBI single from Reyes.
The bullpen collapses have come after outstanding outings by Andy Pettitte and Javier Vazquez. The first place to point blame is at the Yankees bat rack, but the second place to look is the bullpen for letting two close games get broken open.