When you hold your opponents to 2 runs over the 1st 20 innings of a series, you should at least win the 1st 2 games, right?
The Yankees have done that in this series. And it hasn't worked out that way.
Ivan Nova started for the Yankees against the San Francisco Giants yesterday, and was fantastic. He went 7 innings, allowing 1 run on 6 hits and 2 walks, striking out 7. He should have been allowed to stay in the game.
But Girardi looked in his binder, and saw that the still-cruising Nova had thrown 96 pitches, and removed him.
At first, it looked like a good decision: Andrew Miller pitched a perfect 8th, Aroldis Chapman kept the Giants from scoring in the 9th and the 10th, and Dellin Betances -- despite a near-wild pitch on an intentional walk that only failed to lose the game because Angel Pagan, on 3rd base, didn't take enough of a lead and couldn't score -- pitched a scoreless 11th. At which point, it was still 1-1.
But when you're the Yankees, in Yankee Stadium with that short porch in right field, you should score more than 1 run in 11 innings. (That they scored only 3 runs in 21 innings in these 2 games is atrocious, even if they did win the 1st game.)
But aside from a Mark Teixeira single and a Mark Williamson error in right field that got Didi Gregorius home in the 4th inning, the Yankees got nothing. They loaded the bases with 1 out in the 11th, and got nothing. Credit the Giants' pitching, sure, but the Yankees should still do better than that.
Girardi brought Anthony Swarzak in to pitch the top of the 12th, and he allowed a leadoff double by Trevor Brown. After getting a groundout, he allowed a game-winning single to Mac Williamson (whose home run off Nova scored the Giants' 1st run).
The Yankees, of course, went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 12th. Giants 2, Yankees 1. WP: Santiago Casilla (2-3). SV: Hunter Strickland (2). LP: Swarzak (1-1).
I don't blame Swarzak. The Yankees should have gotten more than 1 run, more than 9 hits, in 11 innings, to prevent a 12th inning loss.
Blame this one on the cold bats, and blame it on Giardi and his damn binder. They combined to blow it, again.
The series concludes this afternoon. Nathan Eovaldi starts against Johnny Cueto. Girardi has already said he won't use Betances, Andrew Miller or Aroldis Chapman today, due to his recent bullpen fuckups. Of course, once Eovaldi reaches 95 pitches, Girardi will panic, and go to the bullpen. Who will it be? Chasen Shreve? Nick Goody? Thank God it won't be Boone Logan, but don't be surprised if the Yankees are close through 6 innings and get blown out thereafter.
Also, rumors are running rampant that Aroldis Chapman is going to be traded. Don't believe them: There is no one the Yankees could get that would equal the value of a lockdown closer. Brian Cashman is short-sighted, but he's not that stupid.
Mike Piazza is inducted into the Hall of Fame today. First time a known steroid user goes in. So I guess it's safe to let David Ortiz in? Fine, but what about Alex Rodriguez? Or Andy Pettitte, whose offense was trivial by comparison? Or Mike Mussina, who was totally clean?
Ken Griffey Jr. also goes in. As far as we know, he was clean.