NEW YORK -- The Yankees were shut out twice in three games against the Kansas City Royals. In less than a month that brings the total to five times the Bombers have been blanked.
On the season, they have been held scoreless eight times. A clean four of those on the road and now four at home after the latest, a 2-0 defeat to the talented Yordano Ventura and three Royals relievers.
"I'll never give up on them," Joe Girardi said. "That's not my personality. They just have to continue to grind it out, try to get better every day. We have our last day off tomorrow and then we have to win a whole lot."
The Yankees remained 4 1/2 games back of the second wild card, because the Seattle Mariners were also shut out. However, another day was ripped off the calender.
The Yankees have just 21 games to go. If, let's say, only 88 wins are needed for that second wild card, the Yankees (73-68) would need to go 15-6. There is little margin for error, especially considering that eight of those games are against the first-place Orioles.
"It is not the easiest path," Chase Headley said.
It is not; especially when the Yankees can't score. They are 3-3 on their current nine-game homestand because they can't bring runners around. In the 27 innings of the Royals' series, the Yankees pitchers had an ERA of 0.67, only giving up two earned runs and they still lost two of three. The team's relievers have a 1.34 ERA over the past 16 games, but the Yankees are just 9-7 in that span. That is no way to make up ground.
It is an old story for this Yankees team. Even on Derek Jeter Day, nothing changed.
