At the corner of Unacceptable and Intolerable, the Yankees lost a season-opening series to the Orioles.
Baseball is not supposed to provide automatic wins. But the Orioles are as close to an NCAA Tournament 16th seed as this sport provides. Maybe a game can slip away. But a series? In The Bronx? Against a pitching staff that appeared allergic to throwing strikes? Against a lineup more anonymous than an “American Idol” casting call?
Baltimore lost 115 games last year and this roster makes that look like the good old days. The Yankees lost two of three more than the Orioles won, wasting the weekend in a wave of atrocious situational hitting after a spring training replete with pledges to amend all-or-nothing ways.