Yankees Woes in Oakland Continue

northjersey.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

June 12^th, 2013

New York Yankees vs Oakland Athletics Post Game Recap

Final Score: Yankees 2 Athletics 5

The New York Yankees have now lost six straight games in Oakland to the Athletics with their 5-2 loss on Wednesday night. The loss moves the Yankees to (37-28) on the season, and are now three games behind the Boston Red Sox in the AL East.

The inconsistency of Phil Hughes has been a story all season, and after a great start in Seattle, Hughes was bad in Oakland picking up his fifth loss of the year. Oakland got to Hughes quick, as Brandon Moss took Hughes deep for his 10^th homerun of the season, which scored Josh Reddick. The Athletics would get one more in the fifth inning off Hughes before Joe Girardi pulled him, as John Jaso made it a 3-0 game with a RBI double. Hughes went just 4.1 innings allowing three runs on four hits, and five walks. Girardi was forced to pull Hughes early, as he was ineffective, and threw 95 pitches in just 4.1 innings.

Athletics Starter Dan Straily compared to Hughes pitched very well, and earned his fourth win of the season. Straily held the Yankees scoreless until the sixth inning, when Mark Teixeira hit a sac-fly to score Brett Gardner. The Yankees would get one more off of Straily in the seventh inning, as Jayson Nix had a RBI base hit, scoring Kevin Youkilis, and knocked Straily out of the game after 6.2 innings.

With the game very much in reach in the eighth inning Girardi trusted Joba Chamberlain to keep it a one-run game, but Chamberlain got roughed up, and let the Athletics extend their 3-2 lead. Moss would hit his second home run of the game to start the eighth inning off of Chamberlain, and then after a Erik Sogard base hit and stolen base, John Jaso knocked him in with a base hit to extend the Athletics lead to 5-2. Preston Claiborne would finish up the eighth inning, but not before walking his first batter of the season in 19.1 innings.

The Yankees would try to rally in the ninth inning off Closer Grant Balfour with two-outs, as Kevin Youkilis walked, and then Ichiro Suzuki hit a base-hit, but Balfour was able to get Jayson Nix to ground out and end the game.

Thursday afternoon will be all about looking to avoid the sweep in Oakland for the Yankees, as Hiroki Kuroda (6-5, 2.84) will be facing Jarrod Parker (5-6, 4.68).