NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Some lights atop Yankee Stadium briefly went dark a couple of times in the first inning Wednesday night.
A full-blown power outage might have been more fitting.
Missing a trio of injured sluggers in the middle of their fizzling lineup, the New York Yankees were limited to four hits in to the St. Louis Cardinals. It was the latest empty performance for a punchless Bronx Bombers offense that’s mustered two runs or fewer in six of the past seven games.
鈥淲e’ve got to give ourselves more margin for error,” manager Aaron Boone said. “The pitching staff did a good job, the defense for the most part was there, and we’ve got to come through when we get opportunities. Especially when we create a lot of opportunities, which was something we did well tonight.鈥�
New York drew eight walks against starter Andre Pallante and four Cardinals relievers, but went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position while stranding 11 overall.
The pitching-dependent Yankees (64-51) lost two of three to St. Louis (57-58) in the series and dropped 4 1/2 games behind first-place Tampa Bay in the AL East. They hold the league’s top wild card by one game over rival Boston, which has won
鈥淚 thought Pallante was good, but we’ve got to get it done. We’ve got to come through in those situations,” Boone said. 鈥淚 like the opportunities tonight, had a lot of chances, felt like baserunners every inning. But we’ve got to be able to deliver and we haven鈥檛 done that enough.鈥�
New York scored without a hit in a rainy sixth inning when Cardinals reliever George Soriano walked Jazz Chisholm Jr. with the bases loaded. Soriano, a first cousin of former Yankees All-Star Alfonso Soriano, then struck out Ryan McMahon to end the inning and preserve a 3-1 lead.
McMahon tossed his bat and helmet in frustration. The Yankees stranded two more in the seventh when grounded out, and whiffed on three pitches against a pumped-up Ryne Stanek with two aboard to end the eighth 鈥� the last a 100 mph fastball.
With power hitters Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger on the injured list, New York tried to reinforce its lineup by ahead of .
But the Yankees went 1 for 18 with runners in scoring position during the series against St. Louis and are 3 for 43 in those situations over the past seven games. They are 15 for 89 (.169) in 11 games since losing Bellinger.
鈥淚 think we鈥檙e really good,” center fielder Trent Grisham said. 鈥淭his year鈥檚 been a little ups and downs, but that鈥檚 baseball. It comes with it. But we have the right guys in this clubhouse to really steer everybody straight.鈥�
Making his Yankee Stadium debut, Pallante (12-6) was charged with one run and three hits in 5 1/3 innings after the first pitch was delayed 68 minutes by rain.
Lights flickered and some banks went out with the second batter of the game at the plate, Cardinals catcher Iv谩n Herrera. Play was stopped for about two minutes before they came back on and the crowd cheered.
New York starter Will Warren (8-6) was given a warmup pitch, and the game resumed.
In the bottom of the first, it happened again. Grisham was leading off for the Yankees when some lights went out once more. Play was halted for about a minute, all the lights came back on and Pallante threw a warmup pitch before the game resumed.
鈥淚鈥檓 more than willing to pitch in the dark 鈥� hitters can鈥檛 see it,鈥� Pallante said. 鈥淏ut yeah, I mean, with the delay and all that stuff, it鈥檚 just adversity, right? Nobody cares. You go out there and be aggressive and pitch the best you can regardless of the situation.
鈥淚t just stinks because you want to be out there and you want to get in the flow, but that just breaks it up. But, you know, it鈥檚 just part of the game.鈥�
Cardinals rookie left fielder Bryan Torres was a little more concerned about how the holdup might affect his teammate on the mound.
鈥淪houldn鈥檛 happen,” Torres said. “Things happen, but at the same time, rain delay, they put the tarp on after the pitcher was already hot and after that the lights came off. So it鈥檚 getting a little tough for the starter. For me as a position player in the outfield, it鈥檚 nothing. I can manage that. But it鈥檚 just, kind of for the pitcher, it鈥檚 tough.鈥�
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AP freelance writer Larry Fleisher contributed to this report.
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