"It's A Last Place Team...Not Worth Our Time... We Need Each Game. They're Not Really in Each Game." - Rays Infielder Brandon Lowe With Nothing But Facts While Clowning The Pathetic Yankees
We are in the midst of one of the most embarrassing seasons in Yankees history. While that sounds extreme, when you factor in payroll, expectations, and performance it's up there. We've got a little over a month to go before we flee this hellscape, which means there's still time for this ship to somehow sink further and further towards the bottom of the ocean. Take yesterday for example!
On Sunday the Yankees lost their eighth consecutive rubber match. That's a real life statement of fact. Ready for another? Their number of series victories since the start of July remains at ONE, the fewest in all of baseball in that time. They are a laughing stock in the sport currently and the humiliation continued yesterday with their series finale against the Rays, a team they trail by 17 games.
These clubs have absolutely hated each other for years and seemingly any hit by pitch, whether on purpose or not, has the ability to trigger the opposition into a fit of rage. Randy Arozarena was irked by an errant Albert Abreu fastball that plunked him to lead off the bottom of the 8th.
I don't suspect anything was on purpose there and that it was more the fact that a bad pitcher in Abreu has no control at all. The Rays outfielder exchanged some choice words with Abreu as the bullpens and dugouts emptied, leading to a bunch of yelling. Eventually Randy took his base and then proceeded to steal 2nd and 3rd. As he reached third he talked some shit towards Abreu. Once again both sides emptied onto the diamond as more of nothing but shouting transpired. Just your classic hold me backs without any real chance of violence. Boring.
New rule: If you force the benches to clear twice in the same inning you need to throw punches.
After the game was over Brandon Lowe addressed the media and dropped a haymaker.
I can't stand Brandon Lowe. I despise the Tampa Bay Rays and everything they stand for. Kevin Cash is a terrorist in my eyes. But is anything wrong with what was said there? Is Lowe out of line? Sadly, none of it really bothered me because it's all facts. That's how bad things are right now.
The Rays are firmly in the postseason right now, six games up on Texas for the top wildcard spot in the AL. Hell, they somehow only trail Baltimore by two games for first in the AL East. They've got plans for October and with how short-handed they are due to injuries and the Wander Franco situation they can't afford to risk any suspensions. The Yankees? They're engaged in a glorified Spring Training as they see what their youth can do with an elongated look here before the season concludes. They are two teams playing in two completely different kind of games right now. Did the Rays sorta start all the agitation yesterday by taking offense to the hit by pitches? Yeah, but they've been hit a bunch this year by the Yankees. You do it enough and a team is going to get pissed off. That's how baseball works.
This hurts to say, but the only thing I hope to come out of the rest of the year is this kind of embarrassment. Of course I want the young guys to play well and Cole to get his elusive Cy Young, but besides that I couldn't give a damn about any victories. The worse this gets the better for their future. It's the only way radical change is going to come out of this organization. Brandon Lowe burying the Yankees like that? Music to my ears as far as I'm concerned. They all deserve it. Hal needs to see the organization he owns has turned into a punching bag. I fear he doesn't realize that yet. It's going to take a whole lot of embarrassment to reach him as he rests comfortably on his yacht off the coast of Italy. Having the Rays dance on their graves is a step in that direction.
TL;DR: Just fucking kill me and fire Brian Cashman