Tim Heitman-USA Today Sports
As major league baseball prepares for the second half of August, wins are crucial for those considered to be in the hunt for playoff spots here in 2013. For the New York Yankees, the time is now, especially considering the difficulty that they face in playing within the AL East.
Trailing 3-1 heading into the eighth inning on Thursday afternoon, the Yankees were still very much in the ball game. However, a rough inning that was aided by a lackluster showing from the bullpen proved costly in the team’s 8-4 defeat. New York rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth, but the deficit caused from the Los Angeles Angels‘ eighth inning onslaught was too much to overcome. Shawn Kelley was charged with one run and so too was Joba Chamberlin, but Boone Logan gave up three while only recording two outs in that dreadful eighth inning. While Los Angeles virtually opened the door and held on late to win the ball game, the fact of the matter is that New York ruined their chances of some ninth inning drama by simply being unable to get out of the eighth. This of course, comes on the heels of Mariano Rivera‘s career stretch in which he blew three consecutive saves.
Either way, it’s another tough loss for the Yankees, especially considering the tear that the newly-acquired Alfonso Soriano has been on this week. New York has now dipped back to nine games behind the Boston Red Sox who will play on Thursday evening.
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