RISP Fail (Again): Yankees Winning Streak Ends in 4-3 Loss to Braves

In some ways, the Yankees were lucky to even be in a close game. Atlanta committed two errors in one inning that allowed the Yanks to tie the contest. In other ways, they were not: Two runners were gunned down at the plate. How often does that happen in a single night?

Hiroki Kuroda was't great, but kept his club close enough that they could have (and should have) done more damage against Tim Hudson, who they forced to leave after five frames due to 109 pitches.

The Yanks jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second thanks to a Nick Swisher two-run double that glanced off Michael Bourn's glove in deep center. The Braves answered with a run in the third and two in the fourth to take the lead. The Yanks had to come back, and did, tying the contest the next inning. But that was the last run they would score, and after Atlanta re-took the lead in the sixth, the Bombers could not scratch across a run to even the affair.

Like the headline says, the Yankees had their chances, but continued their abysmal hitting with RISP, going 2-11, dropping their season average to .218. That's got to improve eventually... right?

Ironically, one of the two hits didn't even plate a run, as Mark Teixeira was thrown out at home by Jason Heyward in the fifth.

Play of the Game: Tex's groundout that induced another out at home plate, as Curtis Granderson was gunned down in the seventh inning with the Yanks trailing by a run (-20%).

Tomorrow's rubber match will see Phil Hughes against Tommy Hanson.