Yanks Drop Rubber Game, Girardi Wants a Do-Over

(REUTERS/Hans Deryk)

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
NYY	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	2		5	8	1
FLA	1	0	0	0	2	1	2	0	X		6	9	0

Winning pitcher - Chris Volstad (5-7)
Losing pitcher - Brett Tomko (0-2)
SV - Matt Lindstrom (14)

I'll get to the do-over part later, but first about the game. The Yankees dropped another series, losing 6-5 to the Marlins in tonight's rubber game. It was the Yanks second straight series loss, and third out of their last four.

CC Sabathia allowed back-to-back hits and a run to start off the game, and was gone after allowing another double in the second because he has "tightness" in his left bicep. After the game he told reporters that Dr. Dan Kanell checked him out and told him he had biceps tendinitis. He's listed as day-to-day and there are no test planned. He also said he will make his next start on Friday.

Alfredo Aceves took over for CC with one on and one out in the second and did a very good job. He pitching 2.2 scoreless, allowing just one hit and striking out two. I've heard people asking why he didn't stay in the game longer. He came out after throwing just 43 pitches, and the Yankees have an off day tomorrow. I have to agree, Aceves probably should have gone another inning. He's a starter, 60 pitches isn't going to ruin the guy's arm.

The Yankees offense gave Aceves a 3-1 lead with three runs in the top of the third. With nobody on Derek Jeter got on with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch. Nick Swisher walked to put two on with two out. Mark Teixeira then lined bounced an RBI double over the drawn in infield and down the right field line. Alex Rodriguez followed with a two-run single breaking and 0-for-16 slide, and the Yanks had a two-run lead.

Brett Tomko replaced Aceves in the fourth. After pitching a quick 1-2-3 fourth, allowed the Marlins to tie the game on a Hanley Ramirez two-run homer in the fifth. In the sixth Tomko would allow another bomb, this time off the bat of Cody Ross to give the Marlins a 4-3 lead. In two innings he allowed three runs on three hits.

Tomko wasn't the only Yankee reliever to struggle tonight. Phil Coke allowed a hit to the left-handed Chris Coghlan. He would eventually come around to score on a Jorge Cantu two-out RBI single off David Robertson, who also had a rough night. Two runs would score on the play thanks to a throwing error by Melky Cabrera. It proved to be a very important run.

The Yankees offense went to sleep after scoring the three runs in the third and didn't decide to wake up until their were two outs in the top of the ninth. Jorge Posada single and Melky Cabrera singled to put two on and two out with Brett Gardner representing the tying run. He then lined a two-run triple deep into the gap in right-center to get the Marlin lead to 6-5. Johnny Damon then pinch-hit and worked a walk to put runners on the corners. Jeter was up and got jammed on the first pitch he saw - a 94 mph fastball on the inside corner - and weakly grounded into a force to end the game. Should Jeter have been more patient? Probably, especially with Matt Lindstrom struggling to throw strikes, but Jeter has always been an aggressive hitter so this shouldn't surprise anyone.

The Yankees have now lost 8 of their last 12 and 4 of 6 to the Marlins and Nationals. And with Boston's win today they are now four games out of first. The Yankees need to start playing better, and most importantly they need to start hitting the ball.

They now have an off day before opening up a series in Atlanta with the Braves on Tuesday. Chien-Ming Wang will get the ball in the opener, and look to build off his last start.

Regarding the "do-over" thing, check out this from MLB.com:

The Yankees have protested the game due to confusion created by a Marlins’ double-switch in the top of the eighth inning.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Marlins pinch-hit outfielder Alejandro De Aza for pitcher Renyel Pinto, who was batting ninth. When the inning ended, Florida manager Fredi Gonzalez made a double-switch. Reliever Leo Nunez entered the game, and Chris Coghlan remained in left field.

Nunez threw one pitch to Derek Jeter, a called strike. At that point, Yankees manager Joe Girardi brought to the attention of home plate umpire Tim Timmons that Coghlan was supposed to be out of the game, with De Aza in left field.

For more than five minutes play was delayed, eventually with Coghlan leaving the field. De Aza headed to left field, only to be replaced by Jeremy Hermida.

After more discussion, it was determined that both Coghlan and De Aza were no longer available. So the mistake cost the Marlins two players, with Hermida remaining in the game and slotted ninth. Nunez was placed in the leadoff spot.

Crew chief Jeff Kellogg told MLB.com after the game that the umpires are filing an incident report to Major League Baseball. He didn’t elaborate on anything specific.

“We’re going to file an incident report, and all that,” Kellogg said. “The protest is over the pitcher should have been removed from the game, or the pitch should not have counted. That’s the protest. Either or. One or the other should have happened.

“It goes to the league, and they will review everything. They will make a determination after that.”

What the Yankees are hoping is the game is resumed from the top of the eighth inning, no outs, with the Marlins ahead, 6-3.

When Girardi was asked if he hoped the Yankees would return to Miami to resume the game in the eighth inning, he responded: “I do.”

Any chance they get to play those two innings again?

I doubt it.

	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Jeter, SS	5	1	1	0	0	1	2	.301
Swisher, RF	3	1	1	0	1	0	0	.245
Teixeira, 1B	4	1	1	1	0	0	1	.286
Rodriguez, A, 3B	4	0	1	2	0	2	1	.213
Cano, 2B	4	0	0	0	0	1	1	.305
Posada, C	4	1	1	0	0	0	0	.280
Cabrera, M, LF	4	1	1	0	0	0	0	.282
Gardner, CF	4	0	2	2	0	0	0	.284
Sabathia, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Aceves, A, P	2	0	0	0	0	1	1	.000
Tomko, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
a-Matsui, PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.251
Coke, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Robertson, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
b-Damon, PH	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	.280
1-Pena, PR	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.247
Totals	35	5	8	5	2	5	6
a-Grounded out for Tomko in the 7th. b-Walked for Robertson in the 9th. 1-Ran for Damon in the 9th.
BATTING 2B: Swisher (17, Volstad), Teixeira (19, Volstad). 3B: Gardner (3, Lindstrom). TB: Jeter; Swisher 2; Teixeira 2; Rodriguez, A; Posada; Cabrera, M; Gardner 4. RBI: Teixeira (56), Rodriguez, A 2 (28), Gardner 2 (11). 2-out RBI: Teixeira; Rodriguez, A 2; Gardner 2. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Rodriguez, A; Jeter. Team RISP: 3-for-6. Team LOB: 5. BASERUNNING SB: Jeter (14, 3rd base off Volstad/Paulino). FIELDING E: Cabrera, M (2, throw).

	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Sabathia	1.1	3	1	1	1	1	0	3.71
Aceves, A	2.2	1	0	0	0	2	0	2.32
Tomko (L, 0-2)	2.0	3	3	3	0	3	2	6.28
Coke	0.1	1	1	1	0	0	0	3.64
Robertson	1.2	1	1	0	1	4	0	1.84

MARLINS STATS

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Chris Coghlan (3-for-4, 2B, 3 R)

HONORABLE MENTION: Hanley Ramirez (1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB)

GOAT OF THE GAME: Brett Tomko

Tomorrow's Game

Off day.