NEW YORK — The last three times the New York Yankees faced the possibility of seeing their record fall to 1-5, they emphatically won.
They faced that two years ago in Detroit but CC Sabathia came through with seven sharp innings and the offense scored seven runs. It also happened in 2006 in Oakland but that time the Yankees scored 10 times and had 15 hits.
Perhaps the most notable instance when the Yankees faced that situation was 1998 in Seattle’s Kingdome. New York avoided a fifth loss with a six-run first inning, scored 13 times and only lost 44 more regular-season games.
On Sunday, the Yankees were presented with the same situation after leading for one inning and committing a major league-leading eight errors through their first five contests.
“I think you can’t lose perspective on how long the year is,” New York manager Joe Girardi said before a 14-4 rout of the Red Sox. “I’m sure there’s going to be a number of teams that lose four out of five games during the course of a season and you just can’t let it snowball.
“We have not played well. We’re capable of playing much, much better and if those things happen, it will turn around.”
And like the previous three instances, the Yankees came out with a bang, getting a three-run double by designated hitter Alex Rodriguez, a two-run home run by third baseman Chase Headley and a solo homer by second baseman Stephen Drew.
Had the Yankees not had that seven-run inning or won Sunday, it would have been the first time they started a season at 1-5 since 1989. That team won their season opener, lost the next seven and wound up losing 88 games, the first of four straight losing seasons that allowed the front office to set the framework for the dynasty years.
Thanks to a big first inning, this year’s Yankees team won’t be linked to a team that many Yankees fans prefer to forget.