Yankees Hot Corner – One step forward, two steps back

The New York Yankees began their week with a series victory over the Boston Red Sox and put a figurative nail in Boston’s coffin. James Paxton looked excellent once again, pitching nearly seven strong innings and giving up only four hits while striking out seven.

The Yankees took three of four from the Red Sox in Boston and looked to be well on their way to an easy series against the Detroit Tigers. The combination of good pitching and clutch home runs proved to be the formula for victory over a team that is clinging on to playoff hopes by a thread.

The Yankees were riding high in Boston when they found out that Mike Tauchman would miss 6-8 weeks with a Grade 2 calf sprain and possibly the rest of the season. In addition to that, it was also determined that Aaron Hicks will most likely miss the rest of the season.

All of this news came on the heels of an absolutely brutal loss to the Detroit Tigers, a game where the Yankees lead multiple times, including a 6-0 lead in the third inning. Manager Aaron Boone for some reason (probably the 100 losses the Tigers have compiled) used a mixed bag of relievers in the 12-11 loss.

Boone’s biggest mistake was leaving Nestor Cortes Jr. and Luis Cessa in for too long. Regardless of who was pitching, the Yankees just needed to have that game. Losing to the lowly Tigers when the Houston Astros were being pounded by the Oakland A’s is a missed opportunity of the highest magnitude.

It may not matter come October, but weeks like these when the Yankees are up and down with wins, weird losses and injuries proves that baseball is such a long season and nothing is guaranteed.