Girardi calls out sloppy Gary Sanchez as Yankees drop 4th straight

CLEVELAND — Joe Girardi’s message to Gary Sanchez couldn’t have been any clearer if he were standing next to the struggling catcher.

“He needs to improve, bottom line he needs to improve,’’ Girardi said of Sanchez’s defense following a 7-2 loss Friday night to the Indians in front of a sold-out Progressive Field crowd of 34,466.

Sanchez was charged with his 12th passed ball of the season in the Indians’ two-run second inning and leads all MLB catchers in that ugly department. Those dozen passed balls (three since Sunday) sit next to Sanchez’s 10 errors. He also hasn’t been good at blocking pitches in the dirt, and Girardi sees a reason for that.

“He is late getting down. That’s what I see sometimes,’’ said Girardi, who watched the Indians score a run in the fifth on a wild pitch by Chad Green that glanced off Sanchez’s right wrist. “It is something that we are working on and continue to work on.’’

Girardi, a former catcher known for his defense, was asked what leads to a catcher getting down to block balls late.

“A lot of times it is their stance. Sometimes their rear end sags and sometimes you misread a ball,’’ Girardi said. “And sometimes not anticipating.’’

Asked if Sanchez has regressed defensively from last year, when he hit 20 homers in the final two months and grabbed all the attention for his bat, Girardi said he wasn’t sure, but is looking for improvement.

“I don’t know,” Girardi said. “Sometimes when you get a chance to see someone for a full season it’s a little different but it is something he is capable of doing a better job.”

Behind the plate wasn’t the only area in which Sanchez struggled during the Yankees’ fourth straight loss. He went 0-for-4 and struck out with the bases loaded on a Trevor Bauer curveball to end the fifth inning.

Coupled with a win by the AL East-leading Red Sox, the loss dropped the second-place Yankees to three games back. As recently as Monday, they were a half-game up on the Red Sox.

Jaime Garcia’s first start with the Yankees wasn’t good. The veteran lefty gave up six runs (five earned), five hits and walked four in 4 ²/₃ innings.

“He looked rusty, he was up in the zone,’’ Girardi said of Garcia, who has pitched for the Braves, Twins and Yankees this season.

Garcia, whose last start was July 28, didn’t accept the rustiness as the reason for the poor outing.

“I was falling behind in the count and the walks hurt me,’’ Garcia said. “I have to do a better job than that.’’

Sanchez, who had an ice pack and pressure wrap on his right wrist after the game, was asked about Girardi saying improvement was needed.

“As a professional baseball player, every day you got to improve,’’ said Sanchez, who lost the ball that went for a passed ball when Roberto Perez faked a bunt. “As a baseball player it’s not just defense, but also defensively. Every day you have to get better.’’

Is Girardi thinking about using Sanchez as the designated hitter over the frigid Matt Holliday while having Austin Romine catch?

“Up to this point I have not,’’ Girardi said. “We are trying to think of everything, so we will talk about everything.’’

Girardi said Sanchez’s work sessions have been good and they surely will continue. So much of the optimism surrounding the Yankees in spring training was tied to Sanchez’s bat and powerful right arm. The bat hasn’t been great, while the defense has been below average.

And with fewer than two months remaining in the season, it’s not likely to get better.

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