Mariano Rivera being knocked from the game in the ninth was surprising. Almost as surprising as the closer knocking his manager, albeit slightly.
After entering a tie game to begin the ninth, Rivera was charged with four runs - three earned - in two-thirds of an inning in the Yankees' 9-7 loss to the Rays Saturdayat Yankee Stadium. Afterward, he questioned Joe Girardi's strategy.
"That's the manager's decision," Rivera said. "If it was me, I would've pitched to him. But I'm not the manager. He's the manager, and he decides to walk Longoria and pitch to Upton."Mr. 3.47 ERA needs to shut up and start figuring out how to get the Rays and Red Sox out, because right now your 13.49 ERA against those two teams just ain't cutting it.
If you were wondering, heading into the ninth inning today Longoria was 2-for-6 against Mo with a home run and three strikeouts, and Upton was 1-for-7 with six strikeouts. So clearly Girardi made the right move.
19 Comments:
Girardi didn't make the right move by having him in there in the first place. It was clear that Sabathia should have stayed in. I called it before the inning even started.
That's fair, I can't argue with that. But once Mo is in the game he has a job to do, and he didn't do it.
Well if you look at Mo this year, he just doesn't look right. He's given up more hits than IP, that's not the Mo we saw last year.
The stats don't tell the whole story either. His command of his pitches just don't match what they were in 08, and in Spring Training. No longer do I see Posada, Cerevelli, Molina, or Cash lay down a sign, give him a target, and hardly having to move the glove to catch the ball.
I don't get it. I hope it's just a bad stretch, because we need him back to the way he's capable of being.
Mo's DONE.
Mo you couldn't get out Ben Zobrist what makes you think you would get Evan Longoria out.
Also if Sabathia would of given up a run in the 9th everybody would of been yelling why did you leave Sabathia in. Girardi did everything right today.
The goats of the game are Sabathia and Mariano. CC giving up 5 runs to that lineup is unacceptable. Mo blowing the 9th was horrible because you knew the yanks would of won the game in the botton of 9th if Mo pitched a clean inning.
I agree with Mo. I would've pitched to him also but bottom line he lost the game no matter which way he puts it. He didn't get the job done today. Hopefully this is the last time for a while.
That's fine Rob, I can understand where you're coming right.
My only beef is I can't stand when pitchers blow a game and then complain about an umpire's call or a managers decision.
I think people need to come to realization that Mariano isn't lights out anymore. He is still a very good closer and better than what most teams have.
I really like this yankees team and Cashman needs to add a quality bullpen arm like Huston Street before the trade deadline. That is the only weakness in the team.
YO, Greg the guy had not swung a bat in a week, thus you pitch to him, it was dumb move. And it was a dumb move taking him out and putting Coke in. Crawford is a lefty MO gets out lefties. But that is what Joe does makes dumb moves after dumb moves.
Joe took Mo out because he didn't want him to pitch more because he wants him avaliable on Sunday to close.
And if Longoria gets a hit then people would be saying he should have walked him to face Upton because of the head-to-head matchups. I can't fault Girardi for this move at all. Also, Longoria missed two games - Wednesday and Thursday - not a week.
I'm not defending Mo's poor performance but I don't see how this is in any way whining.
From the article:
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Was Rivera upset with Girardi? "Not at all," he said. "Like I said, he makes the decision, and that's best for the team. I think I have a good chance against both. He felt like Upton was the guy."
He ultimately pointed the finger at himself, saying: "After the team ties the game, to give it back in two guys is unacceptable."
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He is a closer and therefore competitive. Of course he wants to go after Longoria. I think he was simply asked a question and answered it honestly.
I also believe that either decision that Girardi made would have been considered the wrong one because it was obvious though that he just didn't have it today and I believe that either of them probably would have gotten a hit off him.
All and all a shitty loss.
He didn't need to say he disagreed. I guess you could blame the media for asking him certain questions and framing answers, but Mo knows how the media interprets things, he's been here a while. I think he should have known better.
I didn't actually hear the cut so I am only going on the written word. But I just don't think it was a slight to his manager. But it seems quite obvious that he was asked whose decision it was to walk Longoria.
I would have been shocked if I heard him answer that he didn't want to pitch to Longoria. He answered it the only way he should. No closer ever wants to walk a batter unless he is setting up a double play.
And again, he simply answered the question and said that it was Joe's decision. I certainly don't think he was implying in any way that it was Joe's fault. Nor do I think it was Joe's fault. When you have a closer, he's supposed to shut the other team down and Mo didn't do his job tonight.
He didn't say "I wanted to face Longoria." He said "If it was me, I would've pitched to him. But I'm not the manager. He's the manager, and he decides to walk Longoria and pitch to Upton." He's publicly questioning the manager's decision. Like I said, I think he's better than that.
Don't get me wrong, though, I don't think he should be booed or anything.
Not a week but 4 days the guy did not swing a bat and he did not start the game for a reason. JG puts to many free runners on base with a pen that is wild the guy is bad manger it was bad hire and this team will win on talent alone if it does win.
Mo has walked one batter all year, how is that "wild"?
Excellent point Greg.
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