BALTIMORE — Sign, sign, everywhere a sign. In case you thought the Yankees could fake their way through more of their demanding schedule than they already have, we present last night at Camden Yards.
Their ace on the mound. A makeshift starting pitcher going for the other guys. An early lead and a no-hitter through five innings.
Nope, still not enough. In about two blinks, CC Sabathia’s run at history turned into one of the worst losses of this fighting-for-its-life Yankees season. Joe Girardi’s group dropped its third straight game, 4-3 to the Orioles, and if you believe in omens, well, this was pretty terrible for the 2013 Yankees.
“You can’t expect your ace to go out and throw a shutout,” Girardi said. “Sometimes, you have to score some runs.”
Sabathia dominated for five innings, allowing just one baserunner — Alexi Casilla reached on an Alberto Gonzalez error in the third — before permitting a three-spot in the sixth inning and then Nate McLouth’s tie-breaking solo homer in the seventh. Sabathia’s ERA now stands at 4.15.
“It’s super frustrating,” he said.
The Yankees (42-37) now trail the Red Sox by 5 1/3 games in the American League East and the Orioles by two games in the race for the second AL wild card. They have dropped 19 of their last 31 games and have been outscored, 311-305.
If you want to make last night about Sabathia’s continuing demise and carp that an ace needs to take care of his meek lineup, go to town. However, keep in mind the Orioles own the American League’s second-best offense, with 395 runs scored, and that two of Baltimore’s key hits stayed well within the infield. Casilla reached in the sixth when both Sabathia and rookie first baseman David Adams — manning a position he had never played professionally before this season — went after his grounder to the right side, leaving the bag unoccupied.
Then, after Manny Machado crushed a two-run double and advanced to third on J.J. Hardy’s flyout to center field, Adam Jones delivered a swinging bunt down the first-base line that he outran, bringing in Machado with the tying run.
“I got a hold of that ball,” a kidding, smiling Jones said. “I really squared it up.”
McLouth, however, truly did square up Sabathia’s hanging slider for the victory.
On the other side of the game, remember Baltimore, having exhausted itself of former Yankee Freddy Garcia (who accepted a demotion to Triple-A Norfolk), opted to start left-hander T.J. McFarland, a Rule 5 selection who had never made a start in the major leagues.
The Yankees picked up a run in the first and two more in the third off McFarland, yet on this night, against this pitcher and with the Orioles’ potent hitters going against Sabathia, they needed more. They failed to capitalize in the second inning when Zoilo Almonte stroked a leadoff single and stole second base. And in the third, when Buck Showalter lifted McFarland for fellow rookie Kevin Gausman with two outs and men on first and second, Adams struck out looking.
And that proved the ballgame. Gausman and Tommy Hunter didn’t allow another Yankees hitter to reach scoring position.
Of this current roster, it’s hard to point to anyone and expect much more. Maybe this is the new Sabathia, more of second or third starter in a contending rotation. Maybe Andy Pettitte finally has reached his twilight. For sure, guys like Vernon Wells, Ichiro Suzuki, Chris Stewart, Almonte, Adams and Gonzalez — the fourth through ninth hitters in the Yankees’ lineup — don’t possess unrealized ceilings.
Sure, if Francisco Cervelli, Curtis Granderson, Derek Jeter, Michael Pineda and Alex Rodriguez return from the disabled list, they’d represent likely upgrades at their respective positions. Not one of these gentlemen is returning imminently, though. As they have all season, the Yankees must operate as if this is who they are.
And if this is who they are, then by golly, they can’t lose games when it’s Sabathia against the fill-in from down the hall.
“We can’t really do anything about it,” Stewart said. “It’s one game.”
One game, one more sign. This sign read: These guys simply aren’t very good.