NEW YORK – In the turn-the-page-quickly world of MLB closers, David Bednar had already moved on to Monday.
A three run Yankees’ ninth inning lead in Sunday’s Subway Series finale had instantly vanished on Tyrone Taylor’s two-out, three-run homer off Bednar.
“Not a position I want to put myself in,’’ Bednar said of the two hits that preceded Taylor’s smash, off a first-pitch curveball.
“Not putting guys away…overall unacceptable. Very frustrating, tough one to swallow,’’ Bednar said after the Mets’ 10-inning, 7-6 win.
“But we’ve got to get right back out there (Monday).’’
That’s when the defending AL champion Toronto Blue Jays arrive for a series, seven months after taking the Yankees out of October in a four-game Division Series win.
But these are not the same Blue Jays, at 21-25, with free agent losses and some tough pitching injuries changing the vibe in Toronto.
You could also say these aren’t the same Yankees who left the Bronx 10 days ago.
Through Milwaukee (0-3), Baltimore (1-2) and Queens (1-2), the Yanks lost seven of nine games, lost their grip on first place and lost lefty ace Max Fried to an elbow bone bruise.
An encouraged Fried is certain he’ll be back at some point, but you’d sign up for the start of the second half.
Gerrit Cole should be back by the end of this month, with manager Aaron Boone repeating that Elmer Rodriguez – Sunday’s starter, who pitched into the fifth inning, charged with one run – would get another turn in the rotation.
But you can start to worry more about the Yanks’ bullpen, and the need to bolster that area – from within the organization, and from without – before too long.
You can fret a little more about the bottom of the order, and how the absence of Giancarlo Stanton and Jose Caballero has made the balance seem a lot more out of whack.
Austin Wells has three hits in his last 31 at-bats, five RBI for the season, and he rapped into a 10th inning double play in Sunday’s 10th inning – leaving the Yanks vulnerable in the bottom half.
That’s when another five-man infield setup couldn’t prevent Carson Benge’s over-the-mound chopper from plating the winning run – even though it wound up in a charging Max Schuemann’s glove.
That’s because Anthony Volpe was charging, too, from the shortstop side, and collided with Schuemann, on the right side.
And that ended any chance for a play at the plate.
Of course, everything was put in motion by the first-pitch curveball Bednar left for Taylor.
Last Sunday, it was a first pitch curve to Bryce Turang that ended a tie game at Milwaukee on a game-winning, ninth inning homer for the Brewers.
After Sunday’s game at Citi Field, captain Aaron Judge talked about “not finishing the job,’’ though “the guys are playing tough.
“Just coming up a little bit short,’’ said Judge. “Once you get into extras, you’ve got to finish the job and we weren’t able to do that.’’
The Yanks saw Ben Rice belt his 15th homer of the year Sunday, and saw Anthony Volpe lash a double and produce a go-ahead, two-run single in the sixth; he was on base nine times in 13 trips this series.
So it was a tip of the cap to the Mets (who lost their own ace this series, Clay Holmes, to a fractured leg) and on to the Bronx, and those hated Blue Jays.
“Any time a team knocks you out of the postseason,’’ said Judge, “you can’t wait to see them again.’’
How the Jays rolled the Yankees last summer, all the way into October, matters little now. The best revenge is to win this four-game series before the first-place Tampa Bay Rays arrive this weekend, and they currently own a three-game lead on the Yanks.
The Yanks have Ryan Weathers, Will Warren, the electric Cam Schlittler, and Carlos Rodon – who needs to find his command, in his third start back from the IL – on tap against Toronto.
But even late Sunday, the Yankees had already moved on. When you lose as they did, those are the rules.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Yankees’ concerns grow after Subway Series loss to Mets