The haters are out in force today about Joe Girardi’s managing of game 2.  Check out this article from Andrew Marchand of espn.com who is not usually this direct:

http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york/yankees/post/_/id/97393/yankees-deserved-better-than-joe-girardi

SU, being old, has a longer term perspective.  I see this game as very similar to the Yankees – Mariners division round series in 1995.  The Yankees won the first two games and went out to Seattle for the next 3.  In game 4, John Wettleland gave up a grand slam home run, and in game 5, Buck Showalter brought in Jack McDowell in relief to protect a lead over Wetteland.  The Yankees lost in painful fashion but then what happened?  Four World Championships in five years.  The key learning from this: Sometimes you need to lose painfully before you can win it all.  This is a young Yankee team and they failed to close the deal last night in what was just one game.  Cleveland lost in painful fashion in last year’s World Series but here they are again and they found a way last night.  SU says last year made them tougher this year and it makes them not panic when their ace doesn’t have it and they fall behind by 5 runs.  SU believes this loss will make the Yankees that much better and stronger – next season.

The Severino meltdown in the wild card game had a carryover effect last night.  Both Green and Robertson were extended in that game and Green was warming up in almost every inning last night.  His “stuff” was not electric last night – lots of foul balls.  Robertson was very good but Jay Bruce took him to the opposite field.  Tip your cap.

Should CC have been given a longer leash?  Everyone piled on last night including Michael Kay and the YES post-game crew.  Perhaps but his MO all year was 3rd time through the order he falters quickly.  SU says if you look at the Indians, they seem to hit better against the hard throwers and have more trouble with the finesse pitchers.  CC is one of those now in his career.  You can fault Girardi on that score but he was a genius in the wild card game in how he managed 26 outs with his relievers.  A genius one day and a bum the next.

Should he have challenged the foul tip?  Yes, he should have but SU says the replay was not conclusive.  It would not have been overturned.  The same way that if it was called a foul tip originally and the Indians challenged, it would not have been overturned.  I think the ball hit his hand – barely grazed it so there was no reason for the hitter to shake his hand in pain.  It was just a nick.

Lost in the conversation is that the Yankees offense went away the final 8 innings.  They were overpowered by the Indians’ relievers.  That can’t happen and should not have happened.  Todd Frazier got 3 hits (which experts say is physically impossible and they are studying tape on this) but made 2 key errors which led to 2 unearned runs.  Torreyes got picked off but I am telling you, how many times have the Yankees this year had guys on 3rd base, less than 2 outs, with Judge and Sanchez coming up and they failed to come through?  They are not sure things.  Great players and the future of the franchise but that’s an area for them to improve on.

Judge has been over matched in 2 games.  He does struggle against the elite pitchers.  Let’s see if he can figure this out a bit.  Carrasco in game 3 is very tough.  Not a good match up.

Painful loss but if you look back and you were there in 1995, that series loss was more painful – along the lines of game 7 in 2001 with the Gonzalez bloop hit off of Mariano.

SU has spoken.  What do you all think?