Robert Deutsch-US Presswire

The New York Yankees just barely squeaked into the ALCS, which is evident in the series against the Detroit Tigers. How the Yankees got past the Baltimore Orioles was a mix of great pitching, a few clutch hits, and smoke and mirrors.

The Yankees may have won the ALDS, but were they the better team? It doesn’t really matter now because they did win, but it is a question that has been popping up frequently, as the Yankees hitters make every pitcher they face look like Cy Young.

Fingers are being pointed at the usual suspects, two of the biggest taking the heat are Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long and New York’s favorite punching bag Alex Rodriguez. Long can teach until his head explodes, but the highly paid lineup is accountable to hit and they are not.

The injury to Derek Jeter is far more detrimental than just losing the hottest Yankees hitter. Jeter is much more; he is the heart and leader of a team that desperately needs leadership.

The Yankees look pathetic, frustrated, and confused at the plate. If the lineup cannot hit pitchers that are not that good, how can they possibly hit Justin Verlander, arguably the best pitcher in baseball?

If the Yankees were to somehow pull off another amazing comeback and tie this series up, they would have to face Verlander twice. That is, unless Detroit takes the Yankees out of their misery and ends this series Wednesday, then Brian Cashman and the Yankees organization can hit the reset button for 2013.  It may be too early to talk offseason, but the Yankees have to face the best pitcher in baseball in Game 3.

The importance, and the chance, the Yankees had not having to face Verlander until Game 3 was a blessing and they did not take advantage of it. Not only did they not take advantage, but they are putting up some of the worst ever post season numbers by this organization. With the Yankees hitting like this, Verlander could possibly pitch a 27 strikeout no-hitter!

The way the Yankees lineup is performing, the pitching staff is forced to pitch n- mistake baseball. They have done far better than could have been expected of them and still lost!

The Yankees pitching staff is good, but they have pitched out of their minds and still lost; sooner or later they will crack, and get crushed. In Game 1, Andy Pettitte showed disgust in giving up a run, taking the blame for the loss, because he is being forced to be perfect in a sport where perfection is nearly impossible.

Even if the Yankees starting staff pitched perfectly, the offense would still have to score; and they are lost at the plate, looking more like a high school team than a once powerful lineup. If this does end in four or five games, the Yankees lineup owes every pitcher on the staff an apology, because they have pitched their tails off.

Joe Girardi can, and has done, everything in his power to put his team in a position to win, but the end result is still the same – strikeouts, not hitting with RISP, pathetic swings, pressing at the plate, not being patient.

All the mixing and matching with the Yankees lineup and all the extra batting practice has done zero to the bottom line. The Yankees are past the phrase “not hitting”, they are putting on a display that is unfathomable. Even when a pitcher hands them a big inning on a silver platter, the Yankees hitters walk away with no runs.

Yankee Stadium was running out of zeros to put on the scoreboard. Luckily, the series is headed to Detroit, where it could end, unless miraculously the Yankees bats are found somewhere across the 8-Mile.