HOUSTON — The ebb and flow of the regular season are inevitable for most every team, and the New York Yankees are no different. In advance of their loss in the series finale against the Houston Astros on Sunday, manager Joe Girardi was asked to consider how well his club had played in consecutive wins over the first-place Astros following a home series loss to the lowly Phillies.
“It’s hard to figure out,” Girardi said. “As you watch the game, it’s just completely unpredictable.”
That statement applies to the Yankees, who followed a six-game losing skid last month with a three-game series sweep of the Royals. The Yankees swept the Tigers in Detroit in April but also lost 10 of 11 as part of the aforementioned six-game lull. The Yankees lost outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury to a knee injury last month but have kept pace on offense. Where they wobble occasionally is with starting pitching.
Right-hander Masahiro Tanaka has allowed three home runs in each of his last two starts. Righty Michael Pineda had scuffled recently before twirling his first career complete game on Sunday. Veteran left-hander CC Sabathia is in the throes of a prolonged struggle that has him searching for answers. The Yankees, with the return of right-hander Ivan Nova, have starting pitching depth, but they need superior efforts.
“Streaks start or wins start with your starting pitcher,” Girardi said. “And if he has a rough outing, you can score a lot of runs and it may not be enough. And I think that’s been the case sometimes. The one thing that we need to do is become more consistent. It starts with your starting pitching.”
