Last night with a 3-1 lead heading into the 8th inning Joe Girardi sent CC Sabathia back to the hill to finish off the bridge to Mariano and why wouldn't he have. CC had just given up 3 hits through 7 innings and his only blemish was the home run to David Ortiz which came back in the 2nd inning. Additionally he had just rolled through the bottom of the order in the 7th and looked like he was in the groove. Eventually though the world tumbled down on Joe's shoulders, the Yankees sit at 0-8 against the Red Sox, and this loss is completely a result of Girardi's inability to sense when his ace was done.With Nick Green coming up to start off the 8th inning it was essential for CC to get out the leadoff man. Sabathia eventually worked the count in his favor and looking for a strikeout threw an offspeed pitch to Green. He hung it right over the heart of the plate and Green roped a line drive to left field. Ok, I guess you could shake that one off, one bad pitch, go get Pedroia. With Pedroia it was simply a matter of him completely wearing out Sabathia. CC had Pedroia at 2-2 for what seemed like an eternity, trying to throw balls past the little shit and watching him foul off ball after ball. The entire at bat it was evident that Sabathia just couldn't quite locate his pitches, probably because he was nearing 120 total. So Sabathia winds up walking Pedroia, he's gassed, time to use the bullpen right? Nope, let's let him pitch to Drew because it's lefty lefty. It took the gassed Sabathia just two pitches to hang a breaking ball and watch Drew whiz a liner by his head. At some point in time the manager needs to have a better feel of when his ace is done and have the ability to take him out, this isn't the first time he's done this to CC this season and it likely won't be the last.
Than to top it all off Girardi was unable to pull the trigger on bringing in Mariano even though he had him getting loose. Here's a quick question Joe might want to ask himself next time, whats a more important situation, protecting a 1 run lead with 2 runners on in the 8th inning and the heart of the order coming up or not pitching in the 9th inning? That was the game, you bring in your best bullpen arm there whether its a save situation or not, being tentative and set in your ways of Mo as the 9th inning guy cost you the game. I'm not even saying Mo gets the job done, his track record against the Sox has been spotty, but you have to go with your best in that spot and your best is not Aceves.
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