Girardi Almost Blows Another One, But Yanks Beat Pale Hose

Last night, the Yankees began a series against the Chicago White Sox, their 1st visit to the former new Comiskey Park since its name was changed from U.S. Cellular Field to Guaranteed Rate Field.

And it almost became one of those games that makes me say, "If the Yankees end up losing the American League East (or missing the Playoffs completely) by 1 game, I want you to remember this game."

The Yankee bats were not the problem. Tyler Austin, who played 26 games last season, hitting 5 home runs, but is technically still a rookie, hit his 1st homer of the season last night, for 2 runs. Chase Headley went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Austin Romine and Ronald Torreyes also had RBIs.

Starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery was not the problem. He went 7 innings, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits and a walk, striking out 8.

Relief pitcher Jonathan Holder was not the problem. He got the 1st 2 outs in the 8th.

Relief pitcher Dellin Betances was not the problem. He got the last out in the 8th.

Those of you old enough to remember that it doesn't take 3 pitchers to get 6 outs when the opposing team hasn't scored in the innings in question have probably figured out what the problem was: Joe Girardi was reading his damn binder and playing musical chairs with the bullpen again.

He sent Chasen Shreve out to pitch the bottom of the 9th inning, to protect a 5-run lead. And Shreve...

Let's be honest here: Shreve was not the problem. Girardi was the problem. Pretty much any other manager would have ignored the fact that Montgomery had thrown 100 pitches, and left him in for the 8th. Maybe for the 9th, too. He's already going to get 5 days rest, so what's another 15 to 20 pitches?

At the very least, since Holder had gotten the 1st 2 outs in the 8th, Girardi should have let him try to get the 3rd. Or, since Betances had gotten the last out in the 8th, Girardi should have let him try to get the outs in the 9th.

But because Joe Girardi is an idiot who doesn't know how to manage a bullpen, he pulled Montgomery sooner than he should have, burned Holder, burned Betances, and put Shreve in. Here's what Shreve got: Groundout, single, infield single, home run. That cut the Yankee lead from 6-1 to 6-4 in a hurry.

Girardi realized it was now a save situation, and got Shreve out of there, and brought in his closer, Aroldis Chapman. Yankee Twitter was in full collapse mode, sure the game would be lost, wondering why Girardi didn't put Chapman out there in the first place.

Chapman allowed a single. And an RBI double. And it looked for all the world like Girardi had blown yet another one, making the current Yankee slump 11 losses in the last 13 games.

Chapman pulled it together, and got a groundout and a flyout to end it in victory for the Bronx Bombers over the Pale Hose. Whew. Yankees 6, White Sox 5. WP: Montgomery (6-4). SV: Chapman (8). LP: David Holmberg (1-2).

Can someone please explain to me why Joe Girardi still has a job?

The series continues tonight. Luis Severino starts for the Yankees, Jose Quintana for the White Sox.

*

Days until the Red Bulls play again: 1, tomorrow night at 8:00, a "derby" against the Philadelphia Union at Red Bull Arena, in the U.S. Open Cup, the American version of England's FA Cup. In their last game, they lost at home to New York City FC for the 1st time, a pathetic 2-0 effort.

Days until the Red Bulls next play a "derby": See the previous answer. They will next play the New England Revolution on Wednesday, July 5, at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. They will next play NYCFC on Sunday, August 6, at Yankee Stadium. And they will next play the D.C. Scum on Saturday, September 27, at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

Days until the U.S. national soccer team plays again: 4, this Saturday afternoon at 4:45, a friendly against Ghana, at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut.

Days until The Arsenal play again: 16, on Thursday, July 13, when they begin their preseason tour of Australia and Asia, with a game against A-League winners Sydney FC at Stadium Australia in Sydney.

Days until the next Yankees-Red Sox series: 17, on Friday, July 14, at Fenway Park. 

Days until the Premier League season begins: 46, on Saturday, August 12. The Arsenal open at home to Leicester City. There is a chance, of course, that the TV networks could have Arsenal's match moved to the following Sunday or Monday.

Days until Rutgers University plays football again: 66, on Friday, September 1, home to the University of Washington. A little over 2 months.

Days until East Brunswick High School plays football again: 73, on Friday night, September 8, home to Sayreville, a "derby." 

Days until the New Jersey Devils play again: 102, on Saturday night, October 7, home to the Colorado Avalanche. A little over 3 months.

Days until the New Jersey Devils next play a local rival: 109, on Saturday night, October 14, against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden in Midtown Manhattan. Their 1st game against the New York Islanders will be on Sunday, January 7, 2018, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn -- and they'll have played the Rangers 3 times by then. Their 1st game against the Philadelphia Flyers will be on Saturday, January 13, 2018, at the Prudential Center in Newark -- and they'll have played the Rangers 3 times and the Islanders once by then. This is a weird schedule. But, at least, now we have it. The NBA usually doesn't release its new season's schedule until August.

Days until the Alex Rodriguez Contract From Hell officially runs out, and the Yankees can spend his salary on new players: 126, on October 31.

Days until the next election for Governor of New Jersey: 133, on Tuesday, November 7. Just 19 weeks until we elect Phil Murphy, defeat Kim Guadagno, and end Christieism forever. But only if you vote!

Days until the next Rutgers-Penn State football game: 137, on Saturday, November 11, at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania.

Days until the next North London Derby: 144, on Saturday, November 18, at the Emirates Stadium. This game could be moved to the following day, for TV purposes.

Days until the next East Brunswick-Old Bridge Thanksgiving high school football game: 149, on Thursday, November 23, at 10:00 AM. Under 6 months, and thank God it's at home, at Jay Doyle's Green Grove, rather than at that purple shit pit on Route 9. Under 5 months.

Days until the next Winter Olympics begins in Pyeongchang, Korea: 231, on February 9, 2018. Under 8 months.

Days until the next World Cup kicks off in Russia: 352, on June 14, 2018. Just under 1 year, or 12 months. Has Bruce Arena turned our chances around? Maybe. Or maybe, with the tournament on his soil, Vladimir Putin will tell his bitch Donald Trump to tell Bruce Arena to tank the games. Maybe not. Or maybe only if we end up playing Russia. I don't think Arena will listen. If he doesn't, I hope his life insurance is paid up, because Putin has had people killed for defying him.

Days until September 2018 roster call-ups, when we can finally start to expect seeing some of these wonderful "prospects" for whom Yankee general manager Brian Cashman threw away a chance at the 2016 Playoffs: 431. Under a year and a half, or a little over 14 months. Of course, we could end up seeing one of more of them sooner than that, but since most of them are at Double-A Trenton now, if that, who's kidding who?

Days until the next Congressional election: 497, on November 6, 2018. Under a year and a half, or a little over 16 months.

Days until the Baseball Hall of Fame vote is announced, electing Mariano Rivera: 561, on January 9, 2019. A little over a year and a half, or a little over 18 months.

Days until the Baseball Hall of Fame vote is announced, electing Derek Jeter: 926, on January 8, 2020. A little over 2 1/2 years, or a little over 30 months.

Days until the next Summer Olympics begins in Tokyo, Japan: 1,131, on July 24, 2020. A little over 3 years, or a little under 37 months.

Days until the next Presidential election: 1,593, on November 3, 2020. Under 3 1/2 years, or a little over 40 months.

Days until Liberation Day: 1,671, at noon on January 20, 2021. Under 4 years, or a little under 43 months. Note that this is liberation from the Republican Party, not just from Donald Trump. Having Mike Pence as President wouldn't be better, just differently bad, mixing theocracy with plutocracy, rather than mixing kleptocracy with plutocracy.