Yanks-Rays: New York's Feigning Sense of Urgency

They're saying all the right things - "We're not out of it until they put an 'X' next to our names" or "We're playing every game like it's the seventh game of the World Series" - but the Yankees' actions tell a different story.

On Thursday, New York lost to the Tampa Bay Rays by a score of 7-5, but the game was never really that close.  The Rays jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the second, bouncing Yanks' starter Darrell Rasner from the game after just four outs.

But what else is new?

Since June 11th, Rasner is 2-7 with a 6.97 ERA.  He hasn't won a game since before the All-Star break and yet the organization continues to stubbornly stick with him and Sidney Ponson (1-4, 7.24 ERA in his last eight starts), rather than pick up another arm like Paul Byrd, Jarrod Washburn, or, God forbid, let the best pitcher on their staff, Joba Chamberlain, return to the rotation now that he's back off the DL.

That doesn't sound like a team that is seriously making a push for the playoffs.

And Manager Joe Girardi isn't helping matters by sitting Hideki Matsui (.302 average) in favor of Brett Gardner (.182 average) when they're already missing Bobby Abreu to a wrist injury.  Gardner struck out in all three of his at bats.

I never understand why the only lefty batter who is allowed to hit against lefties like Scott Kazmir is Jason Giambi (.247 average).  By the way, after his 0-4 performance on Thursday, the Giamzero is now 2-19 against Kazmir. 

I know the Yankees aren't going to go undefeated the rest of the way, but they have to come close and they're not going to do that if they continue to send sub par starters to the mound and sit some of their best hitters.

Jordan Schwartz is Bleacher Report's New York Yankees Community Leader. His book "Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man"is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and authorhouse.com. Jordan can be reached at [e-mail]