In between the Pinstripes #24

In between the Pinstripes_24: The “check your television” game
Sometimes you just run out of luck. What an interesting and fun game in the Bronx today. I didn’t watch the majority of the game today, but I turned it on as the bottom of the 9th. I happened to turn it on when the real game started. The Yankees got two runners on, when the Oriole pitcher Darren O’Day balked to put the runners on second and third with two outs in the bottom of the 9th. The bases would become loaded and Didi Gregorius hit a game tying 2-run single after an ejection of Orioles manager Buck Showalter.

The game goes to extras after a Chris Carter strike out, and Bryan Mitchell takes over for Carter at first. Chapman comes in to pitch the top of the 10th. Mitchell stay in to play first just in case the game went longer than the 10th. The issue with that is exactly what happened this afternoon. Mitchell from the top of the 9th to the top of the 11th spent 35 minutes off the mound, and not throwing. That, along with a sloppy run down sequence cost the bombers the game. Warren was unavailable because he threw 35 pitches yesterday afternoon. I questioned the move because with the move the Yanks lose Matt Holiday at DH. Holiday has been on a mini hot streak in this series and I just don’t think you can lose his bat in an extra inning game. Maybe you extend Chapman one batter in the 11th and let Warren come in from there with Layne there as the emergency guy. I just don’t think you shut down your long reliever in a situation like this. You definitely shut him down for the tomorrow after he comes in in the 11th.

If you didn’t think that something funky was going to happen with Mitchell when he came out for the 11th, you are crazy. Not pitching for 35 minutes is a long time to be away from the mound, you lose your momentum and grip of the ball. It was a weird and interesting move, that would have paid off if the Yanks score on either of the possibilities that they had in the bottom of the 10th with the bases loaded. In total, the bombers left 16 men on base in the game today, and well you are not going to win many games where you do that.

Jordan Montgomery had a high pitch count (92) in only 5 innings, and did give up 3 earned runs, so the Yanks really need Montgomery to be more economical with his pitch count if Girardi is going to be trigger happy with the high pitch count through 5 innings. The Focus Player of the Day has to go to the 9th inning hero Didi Gregorius, who went 3-6, 3 singles, and that HUGE clutch hit to send the game to extra.

Looking ahead to tomorrow’s series opener against Toronto; it’s Marco Estrada against Luis Severino. Estrada is coming off a good outing against the Cardinals where he went 6 innings, giving up 6 hits, 2 runs, and striking out 9, and getting a no decision. Estrada is 3-2 with a 3.75 ERA in 10 games (9 starts) with the Yanks batting .213 against him. Severino is coming off that great outing in Fenway where he went 7 innings, giving up 3 hits, no runs, and striking out 6. You can’t win every game, and mistakes will be made, so take the series win and focus on trying to win a series against Toronto who are struggling right now. This game was crazy, fun, insane, interesting, and it’s unfortunate that the bombers could pull out another walk-off win. But, that’s baseball, time to move on and play Toronto tomorrow.
Sources:(mlb.com, baseballreference.com)

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