Not: 1-8
In the finale of their home series with the Oakland Athletics, the Yankees took a 1-0 lead in the 2nd inning, and a 2-1 lead in the 4th. The A's tied it in the 5th, but, through 6 innings, it was still 2-2.
Luis Severino had gone 6 innings, allowing 2 runs on 7 hits and no walks. A manager with a brain instead of a binder would have let him pitch the 7th.
Joe Girardi is a manager with a binder instead of a brain. He saw that Severino had thrown 103 pitches, and sent Chasen Shreve in to pitch the 7th. Shreve, as you no doubt saw last season, stinks. He allowed 2 runs.
The Yankees got a run back in the bottom of the 7th, but Girardi compounded his stupid decision by bringing Johnny Barbato in to pitch the 8th. He allowed 2 runs. He brought Kirby Yates in to pitch the 9th, and he allowed a run.
Would the Yankees have won 3-2 if Girardi had let Severino pitch the 7th? Would 3 runs, which usually isn't enough, have been enough this time? We'll never know. But we deserved to find out. So did Severino. So did the rest of the Yankees.
Instead, Girardi screwed up. A's 7, Yankees 3. WP: Rich Hill (2-2). SV: Ryan Madson (6). LP: Shreve (1-1). 2016 Girardi Screwup Count: 2.
Out go the A's, in come the Tampa Bay Rays. At least we won't be losing to a dirty team managed by the classless Joe Maddon.