Tip to Joe Girardi, calm it down a bit, Joe. You don’t have to use every pitcher in your bullpen every game. The 5-4, 11-inning loss last night to the Angels never should have happened the way it did. Now the ALCS is a series with the Yankees leading, 2-1.
In the two games not started by CC Sabathia, the Yankees have used 16 pitchers. That’s a joke. Torii Hunter said he thought it was a spring training game Monday when Girardi once again emptied the pen. Learning how to use the bullpen is the hardest thing for a young manager. Girardi has to back off a bit.
Dave Robertson had the Angels right where he wanted them in the 11th, getting the first two outs. There was no need to bring in Alfredo Aceves, who gave up the single to Howie Kendrick and game-winning double to Jeff Mathis that scored Kendrick. That’s over managing. That’s trying to show the world that you have a great scouting report and the Yankees do it better than everyone else.
Sometimes you just have to let the game play out and go with your gut feeling. Robertson was throwing the ball well. And who knows what you are going to get out of a pitcher that day, no matter what the numbers say, until you see him throw on that day. Robertson was dealing.
As a scout told me, “Why change to another pitcher when the pitcher in front of you is getting the job done. Who knows what kind of stuff the new pitcher has, unless he’s named Mariano Rivera.’’
Girardi let this one get away.
Note to stuffy Bill James, guru to all the stat guys who are running baseball these days: Yo Bill, do you still think Derek Jeter can’t play short?