PIN'ED DOWN
Looking to salvage homestand, big righty can't come through
The Yankees limped home from their disastrous West Coast trip in hopes that a week in The Bronx would help them get back to where they were for the first two months of the season.
Instead, they closed a disappointing homestand Sunday with a gut-wrenching 7-6 loss to the Rangers and stagger back onto the road having lost 10-of-12 and with players getting banged up on almost a daily basis.
“We had a pretty tough, poor two weeks,’’ manager Joe Girardi said after the defeat on Old-Timers’ Day in The Bronx. “You could have gotten yourself in a lot of trouble, but we’re still in a good spot and it’s the end of June. We need to turn it around. This is an important road trip for us. We’ve got to get some things straightened out.”
The recent stretch might not have seemed so bad if the Yankees had been able to complete their comeback Sunday, but Gary Sanchez was thrown out trying to advance to third to end the seventh and then struck out with Aaron Judge at first base to end the game. It prevented them from bailing out Michael Pineda, who delivered his worst performance of the season.
To make matters worse, Aaron Hicks is headed to the disabled list with an oblique in- jury. Girardi was also without Matt Holliday (allergic reaction) and Starlin Castro (wrist), not to mention the previous absences of CC Sabathia, Jacoby Ellsbury and Greg Bird.
But because Boston also lost Sunday, the Yankees remained percentage points ahead in first place in the AL East.
That hardly solves the Yankees’ problems.
Sanchez had done his part earlier to get the Yankees back in the game after Pineda put the Bombers in a seven-run hole.
The catcher hit a three-run homer in a four-run fifth before Ronald Torreyes, filling in at second base for Starlin Castro — who is nursing a wrist injury — homered to lead off the bottom of the seventh to make it 7-5.
Aaron Judge and Sanchez drew two-out walks later in the inning, setting up Didi Gregorius, who just missed hitting a three-run homer when his fly ball down the right-field line landed a few feet foul. He followed with a single to right that scored Judge, but Sanchez’s base-running ended the threat.
“That’s a mistake on my part,” Sanchez said through an interpreter of getting gunned down at third by Shin-Soo Choo. “I should never be the last out at third base.”
Chase Headley, who returned after missing three straight games with back spasms, had three hits, but was thrown out trying to steal second after a leadoff single in the sixth.
“I think any other day of the year I’m safe,” said Headley, who was given the green light by Girardi because of Ernesto Frieri’s long delivery. “I didn’t feel like I was moving like I normally move. I’m watching him and I’m telling myself I’m safe every time with that long delivery, but today was a day I shouldn’t have run.”
Pineda, though, made it nearly impossible for the Yankees to make any mistakes. He gave up a seasonhigh seven runs — all earned — in just four innings and also allowed three homers. He’s also surrendered 13 first-inning earned runs in his 15 starts, including three more Sunday.
Tyler Webb, Chad Green, Dellin Betances and Aroldis Chapman combined for five scoreless innings of relief to give the Yankees a chance to come back, and the late rally left them at least somewhat encouraged.
“We’re right there,” Headley said of the Yankees’ place in the division. “To be in this position after all we’ve been through lately, we’re pretty fortunate. We certainly have to get it turned around and get it cleaned up and I think we will.” Girardi agreed. “You’ve got to keep it in perspective,’’ the manager said. “It’s a two-week period. We’re still tied for first place in our division.”