N.Y. Yankees: Losing Ground and Their Bearing

From the desk of:  BLAME CARLOS MAY

GAME TWO

New York Yankees

vs.

Boston Red Sox

FROM

FENWAY PARK

New York Yankees: Everything That Could Go Wrong Went Completely Awry.

After that Game One debacle at Fenway Park, one thing is very clear: Phil Nevins issued a premature evisceration.  You can't read players the riot act twice in the same week without completely diminishing its affect. That said, he should have waited till after Thursday's game because the Yankees were just plain bad in every conceivable way.  Perhaps Phil Nevin saw this coming, i.e., a team mentally unprepared heading into Fenway.  But that in turn makes me wonder why in the name of Casey Stengel is a third base coach doing the manager's dirty work?  And sure enough, Aaron Boone indirectly answered that very question.  During Friday's pre-game, Boone reiterates that he's not inclined to get emotional.  Instead, he will temper the game's highs and lows, and aims to be a model of managerial consistency for his players.

Okay ...

The fact remains, Aaron Boone was completely out-managed by Alex Cora in this particular game, while his team was utterly embarrassed on the field.

Then came the opening act of Game Two ...

Boston's Rick Porcello hit the very first batter of the game, when he came high and tight to lead-off batter Bret Gardner.  In the bottom half of the frame, Luis Serverino came in high and tight to Red Sox lead-batter Mookie Betts.  Both sides shouted their opinions from the dugout.  Only then did the home plate umpire issue a warning.  That's when Red Sox manager Alex Cora let him have it, and subsequently got ejected.

Aaron Boone remained silent the whole time.

Before the inning was through, the Red Sox propped up Rick Porcello with a 2-0 lead on Steve Pearce's fourth home run in his last six at-bats against the Yankees.

Strategy and proper implementation of the brush back pitch is a lost art ....

Stay tuned.