The last time a New York baseball team played this badly, the Mets got Carlos Mendoza fired.
The Yankees are nearing three weeks in which their pitching has been subpar, and their hitting, fielding and attention to detail have been atrocious. What is saving the Yankees and perhaps Aaron Boone is that this phase began with the team owning the AL’s best record.
But that is gone and the next four games are at Tropicana Field, where the AL East-leading Rays are an MLB home-best 31-12, including a three-game sweep of the Yankees in April. So a danger zone is possible — and not just in the division.
Because we can keep saying the AL stinks, but these days so do the Yankees. And they are threatening to open a door as Mendoza’s Mets did last year, collapsing from seeming World Series contenders through mid-June to end up the majors’ most disappointing non-playoff team.
