I read that in the Asian leagues, they leave the pitchers in the game when they’re doing poorly, to shame him. The concept of shaming can be difficult to understand for a westerner like my self, but I think I’m starting to get it. And after the game, it’s easy to see why the team lost. Sometimes, it’s just that simple; one guy blew it.
Which brings us to tonight’s game and judging from this post’s title, I bet you’re expecting me to go after Rafael Soriano, or maybe David Robertson for blowing a 4 run lead in the 8th inning… but no. I’m pointing the finger squarely at Joe Girardi tonight.
Girardi could easily argue that he needed to see how Soriano would pitch two days in a row, he only threw 18 pitches yesterday, blah blah blah. Me, I’m for leaving the bullets in the gun: it’s April, it’s a 4 run lead (not3 or 2 runs), the Twins haven’t shown any offensive life at all, as C.C. Sabathia dominated them despite not having his best stuff (I heard a pretty loud F-word come out his mouth after a change up didn’t go where he wanted it to), and there is the series coming up with an actual division rival (the Red Sox at Fenway this weekend), so I would have had Robertson start the inning, and I was shocked when Soriano came out.
I also feel that when you bring in a bigger pitcher into a lesser situation, you kick start the other team’s adrenaline – imagine your team has been shut out for 7 innings and it’s the top of the eighth inning. You’re freezing and you’re probably ready for dinner, but then Girardi sends in Soriano, and maybe you start thinking, “Huh. The Yankees must be taking these at bats pretty seriously to use Soriano again tonight.” It’s the sort of move that gets a sleepy team’s attention, and I don’t like it one bit.
I think it’s that simple; Girardi blew one decision, and it cost the Yankees the game. It’s certainly not the end of the world, but when you have a four run lead in the 8th inning and your ace was on the mound, that’s a game you really ought to win. Sometimes you draw up a great game plan, but your players don’t execute, but this time, it’s the game plan I disagree with.
quick note: Again, the Yankees scored early and couldn’t tack on any more runs later in the game. What’s the deal with that? Hope this isn’t an emerging pattern…
