Writing the Pine

Oh Jerry...if you only took a better angle to the ball....

The Yankees had a chance to jump to a 3-0 lead in the ALCS but just failed to execute. 

Dear Joe Girardi,

Yes, you can overmanage a game.  Mike Scoscia had an opportunity to pinch run for Jeff Mathis but decided not to because that would remove his bat.  It paid off when Mathis delivered the game-winning double.  And yes, you did overmanage by playing the stats over what you were seeing.  Robertson was dealing.  Why take him out?

You've been clutch so far Jeff Mathis

Some Firsts:

• First Yankees loss of the postseason.
• First homeruns given up in the postseason
• First time the Yankees have ever lost a game in the ALCS after holding a three-run lead.

 The Yankees squandered multiple chances to tack on runs.  Throughout the postseason the Yankees have stuggled with RISP and this game was no different as the Yanks went 0-8.  This included having runners on the corners with less than 2 outs in both the second and the fourth inning.  Melky has struggled in postseason and Nick Swisher looks lost at the plate, unable to recognize breaking balls in the dirt.

Goats of the Game

• Joe Girardi - Pulling Robertson in favor of Aceves with two outs in the 11th.  Look, Double-A was my first half MVP and he has 10 wins out of the bullpen.  But clearly he’s struggling.  2 runs in 2.1 innings vs Robertson’s 0.00 ERA.  Let the boy pitch.
• Swisher/Melky (See above).  Just make contact.  Get the run in.  Those runs were the difference between 2-1 and 3-0. (Mark Teixiera is excluded because of his superb defense throughout the postseason.  But he needs to start warming up at the dish.)
• Alfredo Aceves- Rocked.  He got hit hard yesterday.  We need you Ace. 

Keys to Victory

We got to their bullpen and Andy controlled their running game.  But, Howie Kendrick continued to pound Yankees pitching, our attempt to run the bases might have cost us a run (See Posada’s bases-empty homerun), and we couldn’t stop their Rally Monkey.  (See 6th inning’s first appearance by the Rally Monkey and Vlad’s subsequent two-run bomb). 

Damn you Howie Kendrick

So we didn’t execute and we lost.  Credit does go the Angels for their grit to come back from an early deficit. And their much maligned bullpen came through, shutting down the Yankees hitting.  Even Game 2’s comeback was centered an error by Izturis and not by poor bullpen pitching.

Luckily, after protecting home-field advantage, the Yankees were able to fly to Anaheim knowing that if everything went to shit, they would still come home with their playoff chances still alive.  Even if the Yankees get swept (and I reallllllllly hope they don’t), the Angels will have to go to the Bronx to finish off the Yanks. 

All three games have been close.  Sloppy game 1 had the Angels within striking distance late in the game.  Let’s hope the Yanks figure out how to win in L.A./Anaheim/Orange County/California/Somewhere in the West Coast.  In my mind, they only need to take 1 out of 3.  They could go back to NY with a 3-2 series advantage and two cracks to win it at home.   I like our chances.

I guess the best thing about losing Game Three is not having Fox show the graphic of Teams that have come back from 3-0 Deficits….

Also, some kudos to great defensive plays from Teixiera and Jeter’s heads up play to pick off Abreu.  Andy did a great job shutting down the running game but that pitch to Vlad will haunt him a bit.  And I won’t second guess the pinch run/steal by Garnder and removing Matsui’s bat and A-Rod protection from the game.  It was the right move to make.  When you’re on the road, you always play for the win. 

Shame that Posada hit a homerun right after that though.  Damn.