Swept/Terrible Ways to Lose a Ballgame, Part II

Up four runs, with the closer on the mound and two out and nobody on in the bottom of the ninth . . .

New York's #8 hitter Josh Phelps homers to right field. Jorge Posada singles on a two-strike pitch. Top of the order now, and Posada takes second on defensive indifference; Borowski ultimately issues a walk to Johnny Damon. Derek Jeter singles home Posada on a two-strike pitch. Abreu singles home Damon on a two-strike pitch. Runners advance on a wild pitch, and Alex Rodriguez — to this point 0 for 4 — hits a walk-off three-run home run over the center field wall.

Two outs and six earned runs — and just when we were starting to get comfortable with Borowski.

A stellar effort by Fausto Carmona, wasted. A three-hit afternoon by Travis Hafner wasted. Victor Martinez's clutch three-run homer to take the lead? Wasted.

The two previous games in this series were disasters in their own right, with Westbrook and Sowers absolutely gagging in the early innings, and Our Boys poorly positioned to recover. We were never in those games. I got to watch the Sowers fiasco on ESPN2 last night, and while Jeremy's abbreviated performance was troubling, the offense's failure to deliver even a glimmer of a comeback was downright painful.

Win three consecutive series to start the season, and then — pow! — just like that you're knocked back to .500.

Hammy's just disgusted, and I am, too. The Yankees were starting rookies Chase Wright, Kei Igawa, and Russell Halsey in this series, and I was feeling good about our prospects.

Ugh.