In Series with Blue Jays, Joe Girardi Out-Managed, Yankees still in First
In
the New York Yankees biggest series of the season, Yankee manager Joe Girardi
needed to be better as the Yankees were swept by the Jays, and shut out in the
final two games. The
Yankees came into the series with Toronto in first place, 4.5 games up on the
Jays in the American League East and had 90 runs scored in their previous 10
games. The
Blue Jays on the other hand were 9-1 with newly acquired shortstop Troy
Tulowitzki in the lineup and also added ace David Price at the July 31st
Trade Deadline.
Throughout
the series, Girardi made multiple mistakes and they proved to be crucial.
On
Friday night, with the Yankees and Blue Jays tied at 1 in the 10th
Girardi inexplicably opted to go with right hander Branden Pinder, who has been
up and down from Triple A to the Majors and back all year.
The
inexperienced right hander was called upon to face Josh Donaldson, who has 31
home runs, Jose Bautista who is one of the best home run hitters on the planet
and Edwin Encarnacion, a veteran with power.
Well
you can pretty much predict what happens next. Pinder missed his spot by a foot
on a 1-2 pitch to Bautista, and the Jays slugger hits it into the left field
seats. The Jays would hang on and win the game in 10, and the Yankees wasted a
fantastic outing by starter Nathan Evoldi who allowed one run, a Donaldson
homer over 6 1/3 innings.
Watching
the game was not only irritating, but hard to believe. Of all the players in
the Blue Jays lineup, the two, three, and four batters are the ones that Pinder
had to face. Instead of bringing in Chasen Shreve, who is 6-1 with a 2.31
earned run average, Girardi brings in an inexperienced rookie to face the
hottest hitters in the American League. I just don’t get it.
On
Saturday, the Yankees and Jays were tied at zero in the top of the sixth.
Yankees starter Ivan Nova took the mound in the sixth and loaded the bases with
one man out. Nova had thrown 103 pitches up until this point and Girardi had
Adam Warren ready in the bullpen. Girardi elected to stay with Nova for one
more batter. Justin Smoak stepped into the left handed batter’s box and crushed
an 81 mile-per- hour curveball into the seats in right field for a grand slam
as Warren watched from the bullpen.
A
move should’ve been made and Girardi should be kicking himself, but again Nova
is a ground ball pitcher and a double play could’ve ended the inning. Either
way you look at it Girardi left him in one batter too long and the Jays took
advantage.
The
last order of business I had a problem with this series, and basically all year
is Stephen Drew. The Yankees organization NEEDS to do something about their
second baseman. Drew is terrible. It’s simple. It is August and he is hitting
.194. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. The Yankees need to sit him, bring Rob Refsnyder back
up and see what he can do. With newly acquired Dustin Ackley on the disable
list, it is time for Drew to go.
Girardi
allowing him to play in this series mind boggles me. The guy cannot hit, and in
Sunday’s 2-0 loss and second consecutive shutout Drew came to bat in the
seventh with two on and two out. He swung at a fastball four feet over his head
and ended the inning and threat. He should not be hitting in that spot. I put
that on Girardi. You have Garret Jones, John Ryan Murphy and even Brendan Ryan.
Drew needs to go. He shouldn’t be playing every day.
At
the end of the day and a pitiful series, the Yankees still sit in first, have
surprised everyone and in my mind are still the team to beat in the AL East.
The series was important but the Yankees caught a good team at the wrong time.
It is not the end of the world as the Yankees and Jays still play 12 more
times.
For
a team with a lot of question marks coming in, the Yankees are still right
there and in the words of Girardi, “There is a long way to go.”
Article
by: Charlie Mulé
Follow
me on twitter @Charlie_Mule
Follow
us on twitter @BronxBomberBlog
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