Hughes Struggles (Again), Yanks Get Hammered 10-2

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
L.A. Angels «	0	1	1	2	0	2	2	0	2	10	14	1
N.Y. Yankees	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	6	0

WP: S. O´Sullivan (1-0) LP: P. Hughes (11-3)

When I went to sleep last night, sometime around the 7th inning, I wasn't feel too bad about the inevitable loss. However, this morning, I was hit with a bout of pessimism. I'll get to that a little later, but first that crappy game played in the Bronx last night.

Phil Hughes' run of mediocrity continued Tuesday night in the Bronx, as the Angels knocked him around for six runs on nine hits, including two homers, and three walks in five innings. He's had a good start here and there, but since that amazing start he had he's been less than good. After last night he now has an ERA of 5.73 in his last ten, which just adds another question to a starting rotation that is starting to look quite unimpressive. CC is CC, but Pettitte is out for at least a month and half, AJ is a mental patient, and Javy has been great lately but you never know with him.

The Yankees had a chance to put this game away early against rookie Sean O'Sullivan, but he escaped a first inning jam and rolled from there. Just another no-name rookie that the Yankees, for some ungodly reason, couldn't hit.

Both Yankees runs came in that first inning. Nick Swisher's 17th homer gave them a 1-0 lead. A few batters later Jorge Posada drove in the Yankees second, and last run of the game, with groundout. O'Sullivan would end up pitching six innings, allowing those two runs on just two hits, and picked up his first win of the year.

Alex Rodriguez and Juan Miranda were the only Yankees with multi-hit games, both going 2-for-4. As a team, they went just 1-for-7 with RISP and left 8 men on base. It was a very frustrating night for the o-fense.

The bullpen provided very little in the relief department for Hughes and the Yanks. Jonathan Albaladejo did pitch well to get out of a jam in the sixth, but allowed a hit in the seventh and that batter would come around to score when Chan Ho Park served up a two-run homer to Hideki Matsui. Chad Guadin came in for the ninth and gave up two more.

So here's why explanation on my new found pessimism: First, I know Tampa and Boston lost so nothing changed in the standings, but this team isn't looking nearly as good as they did a few weeks ago. Problems continue to mount--starting staff, bullpen, Derek Jeter (.268), Curtis Granderson (.233), no real DH--and Cashman seems dead set on doing nothing. Meanwhile, we're hearing that Tampa is looking to add Jayson Werth. I guess the trade market isn't dead for them. I don't know, maybe I'm overreacting, and if you think I am, please feel free to "talk me off the ledge", but I'm just not feeling very good about this team right now.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Sean O'Sullivan (W, 6 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K)
HONORABLE MENTION: Mike Napoli (3-for-5, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R)
GOAT OF THE GAME: Phil Hughes

BOX SCORE