Grading the Yankees: New York Loses Two to the Tampa Bay Rays

Eight runs in three games against solid pitchers like Halladay, Burnett and McGowan is understandable, but seven runs in two games against pitchers with career ERAs in the high 5s is not. 

The Yankees offense continued to struggle out of the gate in 2008, scoring only four against Rays pitcher Andy Sonnanstine on Friday and three off of his teammate Edwin Jackson on Saturday.  The loss of Posada to a shoulder injury for two games has hurt the offense, as have the surprising slow starts by Cano and Damon, and the expected slow start by Giambi.  Teams are going to go through hitting slumps, but the thing that really bothers me is the inability to get runners home from third with less than two outs.  Missing out on these opportunities to score runs on outs is the same thing as giving up a home run.

But hitting isn't the only problem.  Through five games, only Wang and Hughes have pitched well.  Mussina, Kennedy and Pettitte have all shown why Joba Chamberlain should be in the rotation.  Joba can't pitch when the Yankees don't have a lead in the eighth, and Joba can't be effective when he's not pitching.  And now the grades for the first two games of the Rays series...

Joe Girardi, Manager: (NA)An upper respiratory infection has kept Girardi from watching the games in the dugout for the past two days.  Maybe that's part of the reason why the Yanks haven't looked too good.

Rob Thompson, Acting Manager: (C-)Thompson did the best he could filling in for Girardi.  Luckily for him, the two losses don't go on his record.

Johnny Damon, CF: (F) The 0-7 is bad, failing to get the run in from third with the bases loaded and no one out Saturday is worse.  Damon, who filled in for the suspended Melky Cabrera in CF, is hitting just .111.

Derek Jeter, SS: (D-) The RBI triple in the third inning of Friday's game was the only bright spot for the Captain over the last two days.  Jeter went 1-9 with two Ks and left six runners on base.  He also committed an error.

Bobby Abreu, RF: (B-)Abreu has been one of the only bright spots in the Yankees lineup thus far.  Over the past two games, he's gone 2-8 with a double, a run and an RBI.  Abreu also made an outstanding play Saturday to throw out Gomes, who was attempting to stretch a single into a double.

Alex Rodriguez, 3B: (A) A-Rod also continues to hit well, going 3-7 with 2 runs scored.  His two-out, RBI double in the first inning Saturday had Yankee fans thinking it was going to be a good day, but it was not to be.

Jason Giambi, 1B/DH: (A+) Giambi did the best thing he could for the Yankees Saturday, injure his groin.  His .083 batting average will surely be missed.

Robinson Cano, 2B: (D-) Cano has really struggled over the first five days of the season.  He went 1-8 with a strikeout and four runners left on base.

Jorge Posada, DH/C: (B-) Posada returned from his shoulder injury Friday, filling the roll of DH before getting his first start behind the plate Saturday since opening day.  Jorge went 2-8 with 2 RBIs.

Hideki Matsui, LF: (B-) Matsui continues to look confused in left field and will surely welcome back Cabrera so he can return to his designated hitter spot.  Godzilla did hit his first home run of the year Friday night, but only picked up one other hit in six more at bats over the past two days.

Jose Molina, C: (B+) Molina got his third straight start behind the plate filling in for Posada Friday and once again he went 1-3.

Shelly Duncan, PH-RF/1B: (D-)Duncan went 0-1 pinch hitting Friday and then got his first start of the year Saturday, picking up one hit in four at bats.  He also made a crucial throwing error that led to two runs in the third.  Once again, I ask why the Yankees didn't resign Doug Mientkiewicz.

Wilson Betemit, PH-3B/DH: (B)Betemit saw his first action of the year when he pinch hit for A-Rod in the eighth inning Friday night and popped out.  He then replaced the injured Giambi in the fifth Saturday and proceeded to equal Giambi's hit total for the season in just two at bats.

Morgan Ensberg, 1B: (C-) One of the newest Yankees also saw his first action of the year during Friday's blowout.  He went 0-1 but at least he didn't make an error at first base.

Ian Kennedy, SP: (F)It was a pretty terrible season debut for Kennedy who gave up six earned runs and four hits, while walking four in just 2.1 innings of work Friday.  The youngest pitcher in the majors couldn't find the strike zone, throwing more balls than strikes over 70 pitches.  Yet another starter that Joba is better than.

Andy Pettitte, SP: (D) Not a good start to the season for Pettitte who surrendered five runs (just three earned) and eight hits in 5 innings Saturday.  The Yankees really need him to be a solid second starter this year because the youth in the rotation behind him is a huge question mark.

Jonathan Albaladejo, RP: (A+) A great Yankees debut for the 25 year old who struck out four and allowed just one base runner over 2.2 innings Friday night.  But like most successful New York relievers, he was sent back down to the minors following his appearance to make room for Pettitte on the roster.  Someone please explain to me why Farnsworth couldn't have be sent down instead.

Ross Ohlendorf, RP: (B)The home run by Aybar Saturday was the only bad pitch Ohlendorf threw in 3 innings of work in the past two days.  For those of you keeping track, he's also better than Farnsworth.

Brian Bruney, RP: (A+)This is how guys who only pitch three innings a week are supposed to pitch.  Bruney retired all six batters he faced Saturday, striking out four of them.  Bruney is also better than Farnsworth.

Billy Traber, RP: (A)Another good outing for Traber Fri.  Traber > Farnsworth.

LaTroy Hawkins, RP: (F) Hawkins is in a stiff competition with Farnsworth right now for worst pitcher on the team.  Amazingly, Hawkins is winning.

Kyle Farnsworth, RP: (D-) This man makes $5.7 million a year.

Overall Yankees Grade: (D-) Bad pitching plus bad hitting equals two losses to the Tampa Bay Rays.  There are two games left in this series, though, so the Yankees can still salvage a split.  And they better, because losing a four-game series at home to the Rays is not how you want to conclude the first week of the season.