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The Yankees needed a palette cleanser, having absorbed a deflating extra-inning defeat in the series opener against the Tigers. A prime opportunity was hand-delivered in the second inning, filling the bases with a hit and two walks against Spencer Turnbull. They settled for one run, never mounting anything further.
When Miguel Andújar bounced into a double play and Brett Gardner chopped a soft grounder, it represented the brand of missed opportunity that has grown all too familiar in the Bombers’ dugout. The Yankees’ offensive woes continued in a 6-1 loss to the Tigers on Saturday at Comerica Park, their fourth loss in five games.
“We’re trying to be consistent, but the last few games we haven’t controlled the zone too much,” said shortstop Gleyber Torres. “We always try to attack, but I feel like we’re attacking bad pitches. We’ve missed too many really good pitches and really good opportunities.”
Two starts removed from his May 18 no-hitter vs. the Mariners, which preceded Corey Kluber’s masterpiece by fewer than 24 hours, Turnbull gratefully accepted the second-inning exit with minimal damage and settled in. Beginning with Gardner, Turnbull retired 10 consecutive batters while Detroit chipped away against right-hander Deivi García.
“We’ve got to get better if we’re going to be the team we expect to be,” manager Aaron Boone said. “A lot of that is built around what we expect to be offensively. I believe that will improve, but we’ve got to continue to work and make sure we’re making necessary adjustments each and every day.”
Returning for his first big league start since April 26, García permitted five runs (four earned) and five hits over 4 1/3 innings. Rated as the Yankees’ No. 3 prospect by MLB Pipeline, García walked one and struck out three. The Yankees optioned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after the game.
“It was a grind for me today,” García said through an interpreter. “The good thing is, I’m healthy out there and I’m trying to compete. It was full of different battles throughout the game. I’m usually much more consistent with my pitches in a game, and today that wasn’t the case.”
Detroit’s first two runs scored in the second inning, when second baseman Rougned Odor threw off-balance on a Willi Castro infield single up the middle, his toss sailing well wide of first baseman Mike Ford.
Replays showed that Odor might have had a play if he’d flipped the ball to Torres at second base. At worst, he could have just held the ball.
“From my vantage point, I thought it was going up the middle,” Boone said. “He came out of nowhere to make the play. It seemed like maybe if he makes a perfect throw, he’d have a chance.”
In the fourth, Erik Haase legged out his first career triple and scored on Niko Goodrum’s sacrifice fly. Jeimer Candelario chased García in the fifth with a run-scoring double, by which time the Yanks bats had gone mostly quiet against Turnbull and four relievers.
Even when New York batters hit the ball hard, they weren’t rewarded, as Aaron Judge could attest. Judge smoked a 111.4 mph sixth-inning liner that was gloved by Candelario at third base.
The Yankees have scored just 10 runs in their last five games, going 0-for-14 with runners in scoring position through the first two games of this series.
“Tomorrow, we’ve got another opportunity to try to win and start something good,” Torres said.
Didn’t see that coming
Miguel Cabrera lifted a sac fly and Jonathan Schoop homered in the fifth off Abreu, who performed yeoman work by tossing the final 3 2/3 innings — a career-high for the right-hander.
Abreu’s reward was an option back to Triple-A, his second within 24 hours. The Yankees recalled Abreu earlier on Saturday when left-hander Justin Wilson landed on the injured list with a right hamstring strain.
“It’s been tough, going up and down,” Abreu said through an interpreter. “I’ve kept my mind in a positive state. I just think about and work on the things that you can control, which is pitching.”
In a development that would have seemed improbable 19 innings ago, the Yankees will ask spot starter Michael King to help avoid a sweep on Sunday afternoon.
“It’s not like this one game is weighted any heavier than any other game that we play,” King said. “I’ve just got to go out there and do my job.”