(AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)| FINAL | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |  | R | H | E |
NY Yankees | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 1 | |
Kansas City | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | X | 6 | 7 | 1 |
I know there are some out there who aren't blaming Joe Girardi for today's loss, and I respect that stance, but at the same time I am not one of those people. I believe every game is important, whether it's April, May, or September. And when there is a pitching change in a one run game with four outs to go there is only one person I want to see coming out of that bullpen and that person is Mariano Rivera.
The Yankees were ahead 4-3 heading into the bottom of the 8th and the Royals had three lefties coming up. I agree with Girardi, this was a perfect time to bring in either Phil Coke or DamasoMarte. He chose Marte and it worked out perfectly. Marte got both David DeJesus and Mark Teahen to fly out and the Yankees were four outs away from thier fourth win in a row. The Royals sent up right-handed pinch hitter Billy Butler to hit for Mike Jacobs. Girardi then makes hte call to the pen and brings in Jose Veras. He ends up walking the only batter he sees. I will give Girardi a pass on Veras, I can understand that move. It's a move I probably would have made myself. But it's the next move is where Girardi loses me. With a runner on first base in a one run game, with four outs to go, and two switch-hitters headed to plate, Girardi decides to go with Phil Coke.
Why not bring in Mariano Rivera and turn both of those switch-hitters to the left-hand side of the plate, a side Rivera dominates?
Well, I have no freaking idea why he didn't do that.
Anyway, Coke, a completely unproven pitcher in spots like this, got knocked around the yard for two runs on three hits and by the end of it the Royals now had a 6-4 lead.
This was a game the Yankees could have easily won had the manager managed like the game mattered. I like Phil Coke, and I think he will be a major part of this bullpen - as a middle reliever - when everything is said and done this year. However, if Girardi wants to test Phil Coke in the setup role he should start him off with games when the Yanks are up two or three runs, games where he has some wiggle room.
With all that said, the Yankees probably should have won anyway had the defense done its job behind starter Joba Chamberlain. The young righty pitched very well for six innings, allowing three runs - one earned on four hits and walk, and struck out five. Those two unearned runs came after what should have been an error on Nick Swisher in the fourth. With the scored tied at one and two out in the inning Alberto Callaspo hit a grounder to first that should have been the final out of the inning, instead Swisher missed it and the Royals took a 2-1 lead and later in the inning extended that lead to 3-1. It's safe to say that Mark Teixeira gobbles up that ball and ends the inning.
Still, the Yankees fought back and scored three runs in the seventh to take a 4-3 lead, which they held until Girardi and the bullpen blew the game.
Here's a couple more complaints: Melky Cabrera and Cody Ransom are disasters at the plate right now. If I were Girardi I would do everything in my power to keep them away from playing time that I could.
I'm not worried about this team in the long-term, this is a good team that can win a lot of games., but yesterday's game was very frustrating. It was a game that they should have won, and as I said earlier, easily could have won.
| AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | LOB | AVG | |
| Gardner, CF | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .238 |
| Jeter, SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .231 |
| Swisher, 1B | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .471 |
| Matsui, DH | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .143 |
| Nady, RF | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | .286 |
| Cano, 2B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .409 |
| Cabrera, M, LF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 |
| Ransom, 3B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .050 |
| Molina, J, C | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .333 |
| Totals | 31 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 7 | |
| BATTING 2B: Nady (3, Meche). TB: Gardner; Swisher; Matsui; Nady 2; Cano; Molina, J. RBI: Nady (2), Cano (4). GIDP: Cabrera, M 2; Gardner. Team RISP: 1-for-4. Team LOB: 2. BASERUNNING SB: Gardner (2, 2nd base off Meche/Buck). FIELDING E: Swisher (1, fielding). | ||||||||
ROYALS OFFENSE
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA | |
| Chamberlain | 6.0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1.50 |
| Bruney (H, 2) | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5.40 |
| Marte (H, 1) | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Veras | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5.40 |
| Coke (BS, 1)(L, 0-1) | 0.1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13.50 |
ROYALS PITCHING
Ready for some annoying cowbells? The Yanks head to Tampa for a three game series with the AL champion Rays. Chien-Ming Wang makes his second start of the year, and he will be facing off against lefty Scott Kazmir. First pitch is set for 7:08 p.m., and the game will be on YES and WCBS 880.
25 Comments:
Girardi is an idiot, and this "matchmaking" he attempts to do with this bullpen it just isnt going to work roles were supposed to be solidified in spring training .. and the call for not bringing in mo and letting coke finish out the inning .. he is not allowed many bonehead moves at all this year and here was one of them ... makes a few more he gone
girardi made the wrong move by bringing in coke, but i will not go with the popular choice as to who he should have brought in (rivera) b/c in my opinion its way too early to bring mo into a 4 out opportunity following shoulder surgery and having pitched two games over the past 3 days..
he should have instead gone with edwar ramirez..
edwar throws one of the filthiest changes in the majors and what does a changeup from a righty neutralize? a lefty bat.. by bringing in coke, all you do is switch the guy to his natural side. why not keep pena batting lefty with a pitcher who is great against lefties (but is a righty).. its win-win if you bring in edwar bc the switch hitter would not swing around and it plays into the yankees hands.. of course, i may be the only person that realizes this..
oh well!
I'd still would go with Mo, but Edwar is a good choice as well. Either way it's better than what Girardi decided to do.
If Veras or Coke do what they were supposed to, nobody would be second guessing Girardi's decision.
Coke and Veras have to perform.
I can't blame Joe for his decisions. He didn't know Coke would uncharacteristically serve beach balls over the plate.
He can't see the future, unlike most of the posters whose comments I've read.
Anyway. Bright side? We affect the Rays @ 7PM. Let's go!
Girardi once again over-managed.
This is the KC Royals and it's April. No need to make all those moves in the eighth inning.
I can understand if it was the Red Sox and it was August.
But Kansas City, early April? Come on Joe...
Pel,
While you're right that we wouldn't be second guessing now, I just don't think that was a spot for Coke. I don't mind him bringing in Veras, I said that in the post.
I think what lost the game was the fact he put Coke in who then had to face a few righties, match-making this was a bad move. But it is also to early in the season to use Mo for these saves, people forget we have to monitor his shoulder still and Im sure sitting inbetween innings is not something the yanks want him doing just yet.
From two games over .500 to .500..... if anything, Mo is efficient, he probably could have finished off Butler with 4 pitches. What an easy win to lose... dumb Girardi... and not just putting up a B lineup, but basically a C lineup.
This was something I mentioned a few days ago, and it came to bite the Yanks in KC. It's the Joba factor. I still contend he should be setting up Rivera, and this notion as a starter is nonsense. I'm a big fan of Phil Coke, but feel he's best used as the 5th starter at this point; not Joba. They just might ruin both of these kids mentally, and their arms, if they continue down this path.
I just have a feeling Gerardi won't be around long. I'm with Greg--gotta go to Mo.
Right you are about Melky and Ransom, too. These guys need to be shipped to a pet store in Kansas.
Mike
PLEASE GIVE PENA A CHANCE!! I swear Ransom has missed 4 balls that Arod gets, and his 1-20 start is horrid. Hes 33, this was his chance and I think he showed why he has to wait for injuries before becoming part of the equation.
I don't have a problem with Girardi giving Coke a chance to prove himself early in the season.
Part of Torre's problem was that he never trusted the younger bullpen guys even early in the season and wore two or three guys out.
Yeah it was a game they could have won, but you can't manage every game like it's the 7th game of the World Series.
Mariano for 4 outs in the April rain in Kansas City? No thanks.
Since when is four out for Mo anything close to a big deal? Are we really that concerned about Mo's arm? I know I'm not. it was at most a minor injury that he pitched through it and was dominating.
But fine, don't use Mo, but at least create better matchups than Coke against two switch-hitters hitting from their natural side. Like one of the anonymous posters said, bring in Edwar with his changeup.
I'm not concerned about Mo's arm, but there's no reason to waste it on April 12.
Is there anything wrong with seeing if Coke can pitch out of a jam? There's something to be said for figuring out what you have in the bullpen, and the only way to find out is to try.
Incidentally, lefties are better at holding runners. With a runner on first and a one-run lead, that's a consideration too.
Okay, it didn't work out. It happens. Edwar could have just as easily come in and blown the game too.
1. "when there is a pitching change in a one run game with four outs to go there is only one person I want to see coming out of that bullpen and that person is Mariano Rivera."
2."Girardi then makes hte call to the pen and brings in Jose Veras. He ends up walking the only batter he sees. I will give Girardi a pass on Veras, I can understand that move. It's a move I probably would have made myself."
??????- I'm confused on your stance here. Do you wanna bring in Mo with 4 outs left or you yourself would have brought in Veras?
Ideally I'd bring in Mo.
Greg,
If you bring him in for this four-out save, what's to stop you from bringing him for every four-out save?
They're going to have plenty of chances during the summer to use him for more than just the 9th inning. Does a Sunday afternoon in Kansas City really rate as that critical when you have three games coming up against the defending AL champs?
I agree with NYSJ totally, but I still don't know what Greg is arguing considering her said he'd go two different ways...
Ideally you bring in Mo, but Girardi didn't and it was the tying run. How doesn't that earn a pass if you earlier claim that the only person you wanna see is Mo. and remember you prefaced that statement with;
"I believe every game is important, whether it's April, May, or September. "
??
the cowbells need to go
Joe made the right decisions. Veras has to get that out. Butler kills changeups so brining in Edwar would of been the wrong move.
Putting Mariano in for a 4 out save in game 6 against the royals is insane. If Girardi did that he should of been fired.
They do have mad games in a row he may have been trying to save Mo's arm for the more difficult opponents but then again....with a 1 run lead in a game where you dont have Tex, Jorge or Damon in the line up probably should go to Mo to sure up the win. A win is a win whether its against a good team or a bad team I would have used Mo...or maybe trying to give Coke some practice in these situations is a good idea early in the season as possible and against a bad team.
My main complaint is bringing in Coke in that spot. I didn't have a problem with the Veras move. With that said, ideally I'd like to have seen Month.
?
I'm not complaining about Veras, I understand that move. I'd rather see Mo but I understand him picking Veras. What I don't like is the decision to bring in Coke.
I agree Greg, in that situation I would have stuck with Marte...some guy on the fan was saying hey every time u bring in a reliever you are taking the chance he doesn't have good stuff so you have to be careful pushing your luck in 1 run game and less than 6 outs
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