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Phil Hughes doesn’t make it out of the third inning after allowing six earned runs.
SAN DIEGO – It’s hard to say who has had a more nightmarish season, Derek Jeter or the Yankees.
Neither had much to smile about Sunday.
Jeter sat out his second straight game while being diagnosed with a Grade 1 strain of his right calf, while his teammates suffered through a brutal 6-3 loss to the Padres that meant they haven’t won any of their last seven series.
The Yankees’ last series victory came July 5-7, when they took two of three from the Orioles at the Stadium. They’re 9-12 since, falling 9½ games behind the Red Sox in the AL East and 4½ games behind the Indians for the second wild card spot.
“It’s frustrating; we had a chance to win the series here and we didn’t do it,” Girardi said. “But we’ve got to do it. If we want to play in October, we’ve got to do it.”
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Derek Jeter could be returning the DL for the third time this season.
They might be doing it without Jeter, who missed the past two games with the calf injury and likely is headed to the disabled list as soon as Monday.
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“It’s been terrible,” said Jeter, 39. “It’s been like a nightmare. The whole season has been a nightmare. I really don’t know what to tell you.”
Sunday must have been like a bad dream for Phil Hughes, who failed to make it out of the third inning. Hughes allowed five runs on six hits and three walks in 2.2 innings, his second straight bad start and the eighth time this season he’s failed to pitch more than four innings in a start.
“It’s been really tough; it’s been like a nightmare I can’t wake up from,” said Hughes, who is 4-10 with a 4.87 ERA this season. “It’s like a battle every time, even if I have a good start. It’s not easy. On a day like this, it’s really disappointing. I’m not going to stop working. I’ve got to fight to get out of this.”
Girardi indicated that Hughes’ spot in the rotation was not in jeopardy despite his 0-3 record and 6.08 ERA in his past five starts, though the manager stressed that the righthander must find a way to pitch better.
MIKE BLAKE/REUTERS
Robinson Cano’s frustration shows as he waits on the mound for a pitching change.
“At times we see him do it,” Girardi said. “It’s just a consistency thing.”
Facing the early deficit, the offense couldn’t get much going against ex-Yank Ian Kennedy, who held the Yankees to two runs over 5.2 innings before the bullpen finished the job.
After giving up a run in the second, Hughes had a chance to limit the damage, getting ahead of Everth Cabrera 0-2 with two out and runners at second and third. Cabrera worked the count full before lining a two-run single to right to make it 3-0.
