Yankees' Chad Green collapses in loss to Indians

The Yankees watched a 2-0 lead turn into a 5-2 loss to the Indians at Progressive Field on Sunday.

CLEVELAND — The Yankees are going to go into the All-Star break with a heck of a hangover.

They blew a two-run lead and watched one of their most reliable relievers blow it in a 5-2 loss to the Indians at Progressive Field on Sunday.

Tasked with holding a 2-all tie, Chad Green coughed up three runs in the eighth inning, and the Yankees were forced to swallow a a series tie with the team they beat in last year’s American League Division Series.

What it means

The loss meant the Yankees would finish the first half 62-33. They started the day 3 1/2 games back of the Red Sox in the AL East. Boston was facing the Blue Jays on Sunday.

All falls apart

Green took over for starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka and got the last two outs of the seventh inning. Things went south in the eighth. He gave up a solo shot to Michael Brantley to lead off the inning. The ball just barely made it over the right field wall. Giancarlo Stanton had a chance at it, scaling the wall and leaping as high as his 6-foot-6 frame would take him. But he missed.

Jose Ramirez (single) and Edwin Encarnacion (hit by pitch) each got on immediately. Then with one out, Yan Gomes hit a sacrifice fly to right field. Stanton’s throw home was on the money but just late, and Ramirez scored with a head-first slide. That made it 4-2 Indians.

Later in the inning, Green’s wild pitch let Gonzalez cross the plate to etch the final score.

Early hook

Boone pulled Tanaka after 6 1/3 innings and just 77 pitches in favor of reliever Chad Green with the bottom of the order coming up. With the All-Star break imminent, Boone didn’t have to worry about exhausting the bullpen.

It was his longest start since April 23, when Tanaka went 6 2/3 innings against the Twins at home.

Tanaka was very sharp, both his splitter and slider working. He struck out five, walked one and surrendered five hits, including a home run. Tanaka has given up at least one home run in eight straight starts.

Meanwhile, Indians starter Trevor Bauer, who’s going to the All-Star game, lasted seven innings and gave up two runs on 110 pitches.

How it happened

The Yankees grabbed a 2-zip lead with runs in the third and fourth innings.

In the third, singles from Brett Gardner and Didi Gregorius put runners on the corners. With two outs, Aaron Hicks ripped a single through the right side of the infield, bringing home Gardner to make it 1-nothing.

In the fourth, Neil Walker smoked a home run to right-center field that was gone all the way. It was Walker’s first blast since May 23. He was robbed of potential extra bases in the seventh when left fielder Michael Brantley laid out for an excellent catch in front of him.

The Yankees loaded the bases in the first inning but Greg Bird grounded out into the shift to strand all three runners.

Tanaka gave it back in the fourth.

He walked Michael Brantley on five pitches to start the inning before striking out Jose Ramirez. Then Edwin Encarnacion unloaded on Tanaka’s first pitch, a soft knee-high slider. Encarnacion crushed it into the left-center field bleachers to knot things at 2-all.

Next

The Yankees are off for the All-Star break until Friday, when they host the Mets.

Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.