Girardi On Trial

(Sorry for getting this up so late...I had it scheduled for this morning, but it didn't go up.)

I know you have to support your guys. I know CC has pitched a couple humdingers recently (God bless him and Great Aunt Sadie; the good days are very much appreciated). I know he started off great last night before he was left in too long, ran out of gas, and almost lost the game -- not his fault, since I also know he's going to keep telling Girardi that he's good to go for another inning and will probably believe it, too. But Girardi...I mean, is he out to embarass CC the way he did Jorge by making sure he's in situations where he'll most likely look bad? Or what?

The Twins chased Sabathia with three runs in the top of the seventh. Sabathia pitched 6⅔ innings, allowing four runs and five hits, striking out five and walking three. 

"I thought he threw a good game," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "It seemed like the sixth and seventh, the innings started to get a little harder for him as his pitch count started to mount, but I thought he pitched a really good game."

If it clear to the manager that it was getting harder for the pitcher in the sixth, why did he get sent out for the seventh? If it was clear that in the seventh, as the opposing team started scoring runs, why was he left in as long as he was? If you had to leave him in risk losing the game because your bullpen was wiped out from the night before, why not say so? (And if that was the case, why leave CC in for those extra two outs and give up those runs? Did those two outs do anything to help the bullpen situation? Answer the question, please...)

CC did pitch a really terrific game -- for five, let's say six innings. One or two runs in 6+, great outing. Three, quality start. Four or more...not so hot. But Girardi has to cover his inexplicable tendency to leave CC in for too long too often, so he basically has to say that, in toto (that's the Latin, not the band), CC pitched "a really good game." It was about 6/7ths true.

If the court would allow the reporter to read back what was said by A-Rod...

"If you look at the first four innings, I thought it was vintage, old CC," Rodriguez added.

Isn't it true that four great innings is exactly what you need in a long relief guy?

(Objection....relevance!)

I withdraw the question. Five or six really good innings is what you need in a starter, minimum, and CC did provide that for the third (or fourth?) time in a row. We congratulate him on his achievements. (A string that started directly after somebody wrote a post about how he should be removed from the rotation...ix-nay on the everse-ray uju-jay attter-chay.)

But, tell me -- and tell the court -- how many times has Girardi left CC in too long this year and we lost the game? How many times has Girardi left CC in too long this year and we ALMOST lost the game? How many times has he saved Miller and/or Betances for the next day and lost the game? How many times has he played Drew when the offense is sputtering or let him bat in a key situation -- which, in either case, has helped lose the game?

In a pennant race, these games all start to add up. Instead of a nice, cushy lead, we're fighting for our lives. The question is, if you or Duque or Mustang or Alphonso were making some of those decisions instead of Girardi, would we really have to be fighting so hard? Would we?

No further questions, your honor.