The Yankees tried to get cute last night in a playoff game. The result left many, including myself, perplexed.
That’s putting it nicely.
Because the Yankees tried to cute in a playoff game. They tried to play the game like their opponents, the Tampa Bay Rays. And failed miserably.
After one inning of work, manager Aaron Boone pulled starter Deivi Garcia. The plan was to shake things up and use Garcia as an opener. The “opener” concept is using a pitcher who specializes in getting the first outs in a game, before being replaced by a long reliever or a pitcher who would typically be a starting pitcher.
This is a move in baseball made popular by the Rays. The Yankees have done it in the past and have had success with it. This, however, wasn’t the time to get cute.
The right-handed Garcia allowed one run in the first inning, a solo home run. Boone switched to left-handed veteran J.A. Happ for the second inning. Happ allowed four runs in two and two-thirds innings. The Yankees would go on to lose to Tampa Bay, 7-5, to even their best-of-five series at one game apiece.
The only thing right about this move for the Yankees was slotting Masahiro Tanaka for Game 3, because now it’s a must-win situation.
But the 21-year old Garcia should’ve been given a real opportunity to show he’s ready for the big stage. And Happ, a 14-year veteran of the game, deserved a better situation. Happ likely won’t be in pinstripes next year, but that’s not the point. He deserved better than to be put in a situation he’s not used to.
Now, with an exposed bullpen, the Yankees better hope Tanaka gives them six to seven innings in Game 3.
Somewhere, an ex-Yankees manager is sitting somewhere with his binder thinking to himself:
“It’s not what you want.”
