N.Y. Yankees: Gary Sanchez Is, As Gary Sanchez Does

From the desk of:  BLAME CARLOS MAY

Look what Tampa did to the Yankees, again.

New York Yankees Fall Six Games Behind Red Sox.

If you want to know why the Yankees find themselves six games back of the Boston Red Sox, look no further than Monday's respective opponents.  The Yankees were in Tampa playing the ever gamely Rays, while the Red Sox were in Baltimore playing the moribund Orioles.

With Monday night's 6-7 loss at Tampa, the Yankees fall to 5-5 against the Rays this season.  The Red Sox are 9-4 against the Tampa Rays.  With Monday's 5-3 victory at Baltimore, the Red Sox improve 10-2 against the Orioles.  Meanwhile, the Yankees are just 5-5 against the Birds.  Add it up, and the Red Sox are 19-5 against Tampa/Baltimore, while the Yankees are just 10-10 against them.

GARY SANCHEZ: LACK OF HUSTLE, NO SENSE OF URGENCY COSTS YANKEES.

The Yankees catcher is, as the Yankees catcher does ... or not.  If asked to single-out one player, I'd say Gary Sanchez is perhaps most responsible for influencing Brian Cashman's decision to move on from former manager Joe Girardi, who would have reprimanded Sanchez for Monday's performance, or lack thereof.  Instead, Cashman wants someone to coddle his young players and therefore settles on Aaron Boone, who doesn't appear too keen on putting his catcher's feet to the fire.

Two plays in particular bookend Monday's Yankee loss.  His lackadaisical retrieval of a passed ball in the opening frame directly leads to Tampa's first run of the game.  In the ninth, his gross lack of hustle running out a ground ball surely cost the Yankees an opportunity at tying the game.  Throw in an unsightly dugout discussion between him and Luis Severino, and the Yankees officially have a situation.

I understand Sanchez is feeling a little tender.  But someone needs to remind that young man he is in the midst of a pennant race, and that his present thought process is unacceptable.  He cost the Yankees a game at a time when they can least afford to lose.  Joe Girardi would have addressed this post-haste, and did so as manager of the Yankees.  But he's not here anymore.  And so Sanchez plods along unchecked.

After the game, Aaron Boone implemented non-committal damage control with the media.