tonytalkssports My Take on Sports, particularly the Yankees, Maple Leafs and Browns

Yankee Power Won’t Be Enough In October

After the second grand slam, I wondered whether or not any team had ever hit 3 grand slams in a game. When Curtis Granderson hit the third grand slam, it really was incredible and I was glad to see the record breaking blast. After all of the euphoria settled down, reality started to sink in. It's kind of like being happy about getting out of a bad situation but knowing the worst is yet to come.

Being down 7-1 in the third inning in October usually means a loss. Phil Hughes was extremely disappointing yesterday particularly since it looked like he had turned the corner. Hopefully, he will bounce back in his next start. Manager Joe Girardi said a couple of weeks ago that it is hard to talk about the October rotation now because he doesn't know how everyone will be pitching when the season ends. He is right. That's why Hughes needs to get his act together.

The Yankee high command needs to get this rotation back down to a five man unit. CC Sabathia has not been the same pitcher since going to the 6 man. It's apparent that Bartolo Colon has run out of gas. Sitting him for a bit or putting him in the bullpen makes the most sense at this time. Yankee fans need to realize that this team is flawed where it counts most in October: pitching.

In spite of the first two games against the A's this week, the Yanks offense has been quite adept at bringing runs home. Granderson, Martin, Swisher and Jeter have been red hot and Robinson Cano has also been on a roll. It's amazing what they have done without ARod in the lineup. But it is unrealistic to think that they are going to be able to consistently score double digit runs in October. The pitching is always better. The old baseball saying still rings true: "Good pitching beats good hitting." Right now, the Yankees don't have good pitching.

There's about 5 weeks left to get things in order. It's looking like no one will be brought in to save the day. What you see is what you get as far as the pitching staff goes. Next week the 3 game series against Boston at Fenway Park will be the next true test. The Yanks have been miserable against the Red Sox. The time has come to turn things around. If Red Sox dominance continues, the Yanks will be done playing by Columbus Day.