OAKLAND, Calif. — Their chicken, rice and salad sat on paper plates and was sliced and eaten with plastic knives and forks, so not even the noise of real silverware filled a sullen clubhouse.
After watching the Yankees lose three of four to the worst team in the American League, somebody should have forbidden the players to indulge even in the simplest postgame activity in baseball: inhaling the spread.
Sunday, the Yankees flushed an outstanding pitching effort by Adam Warren because they were dominated by Jesse Chavez on the way to a 3-0 loss to the A’s in front of 25,457 at O.co Coliseum.
“It will be good to get out of here and get to Seattle and finish the road trip well,’’ Brett Gardner said after the Yankees’ 12th loss in the past 14 games, the last three inside the biggest dump in baseball.
Considering Felix Hernandez — the best pitcher in baseball having a sensational season — awaits the Yankees at Safeco Field on Monday night, the Yankees’ desire to flee from the lowly A’s is an interesting statement.
“Best of the best,’’ Alex Rodriguez said of Hernandez. “It will be a classic match with Felix and his pupil [Michael Pineda]. I’m looking forward to different scenery.’’
When the Yankees swept three from the Royals — considered the top team in the AL — last week in The Bronx, some felt the three wins had erased the stench of a six-game losing streak, punctuated by three bad losses to the Rangers.
Yet, the Yankees followed the wins over the Royals by dropping three of four to the A’s. Only because the AL East is so pedestrian are the Yankees tied for the top spot with the Rays at 26-25.
“We lost a little momentum, we’ll try and get it back in Seattle,’’ Mark Teixeira said. “[Hernandez] is pretty tough and it will be a good challenge.’’
With Masahiro Tanaka returning to the rotation Wednesday, a starter will be shifted to the bullpen, and Chris Capuano is the favorite.
Warren’s name has always been linked to the pen because that’s where he spent all of last season.
However, the timing is off and the right-hander has pitched very well as a starter.
Because the Yankees’ bats went limp, Warren had no room for the mistake he made to Stephen Vogt in the sixth inning of a scoreless game, and paid for it as Vogt slugged a two-run homer.
“I tried to jam him up, tried to get a weak out and keep the guy on third,’’ said Warren, who faced the left-handed power hitter with Billy Burns on third and one out, thanks to a leadoff single and two stolen bases. “He put a good swing on it.’’
In seven innings Warren allowed two runs, six hits, walked one and whiffed seven. That should be enough to win, but the backing wasn’t there.
The Yankees threatened in the first two innings and did next to nothing until the ninth against former Yankee Tyler Clippard. Rodriguez (2-for-4) led off with a single and Carlos Beltran walked with one out.
Clippard responded by striking out pinch-hitter Brian McCann and getting Garrett Jones, another pinch-hitter, to pop out and end the game.
“He made one mistake and it cost us the game,’’ manager Joe Girardi said of Warren. “We got a really good performance out of him. Unfortunately we couldn’t score.’’
While the Mariners aren’t a powerhouse, they will have Hernandez throwing Monday and all three games are at Safeco Field. And as the Yankees proved against the A’s, they are beatable anywhere by anybody.
