Full disclosure: SU did not watch the bottom of the 9th inning of last night’s Yankee playoff game.  SU is a true, blue fan and always stays to the bitter end.  But when your team basically gives up, well it’s hard to stick by them.  Very disappointing effort – but not surprising as SU has been writing.  A few observations:

• What made this season so enjoyable, was the “next man up” mentality of the team.  There were never any complaints about injuries.  Boone just slotted in whoever was available and healthy and an amazing number of role players came through.  In particular, Maybin, Tauchman, Romine.  They put the ball in play.  Got big hits.  Hit close to .300.  Now, come playoff time, what do they do?  You put in guys that really barely played down the stretch and did not have enough at bats to be ready.  You know who they are.   But hey, it’s more fun to be critical.  Encarnacion: he had one, I repeat, one hot stretch for the Yankees all year (after SU had said he was a bad acquisition), first broke his hand and then hurt his oblique and except for one game vs. the Twins, has done nothing.  Should not be playing.  Gary Sanchez: a walking groin injury waiting to happen.  Missed much of September and Romine was truly outstanding all year.  WHY MUST HE PLAY EVERY GAME?  And if you have to play him, then DH him and sit Encarnacion.  Let Romine catch tonight.
• As SU has commented all season, this team is too right-handed.  With Hicks and Tauchman out, you only had Gardner and Didi.  I get wanting to play Hicks but why bat him 3rd?  Truth is so few hitters can hit in this series, it probably doesn’t even matter how you design the line up but another odd move.
• The plan to only allow your starters to go through the line up twice and then turn to the bullpen is stupid.  It’s in vogue these days but SU says the more you expose your relievers to the opposition game after game, well isn’t that similar to going through the line up 2 times and not wanting to face them a 3rd one?  Same theory.  Tanaka wasn’t perfect but his pitch count was still in the 70s.  You cannot expect Green who has been great to always get the same guys out.  Plus he has been hit hard this series but right at the outfielders.  SU says Boone is open to the second guess.
• Ottavino has just been bad.  He was excellent in the regular season.  It feels like he is trying to be too perfect with his pitches.  But he has a 3-year deal and SU is confident he will grow from this experience.
• John Smoltz has been showing his inner Al Leiter/A-Rod.  Please, please stop talking.  For 9-inning games that run 4 and a half hours, just cannot take it.  And face it: there is almost no action in these games.  Walks, strikeouts, lots of time between pitches.  What should be a chance for baseball to show it’s best face, it’s showing what some of the issues are for younger fans.
• It was very cold last night and the Yankee fielders lost their concentration.  LeMahieu’s errors were actually both tough plays.  SU gives him a pass.  Glayber is a young guy and became frustrated.  He needs to reset and I think he will starting tonight.

What to do?  First, put Stanton on the IL.  Or start him tonight as DH.  SU has no love for him but he cannot be any worse than Encarnacion.  Second, put Maybin in left field.  Why not?  If you need to play Hicks, OK, but then sit Gardner.  He is scuffling too.  And start Romine at catcher.  Nothing to lose and he will call a better game to boot.

With Verlander starting, it probably doesn’t matter but rolling out the same cold hitters again makes no sense.  SU still believes that the loss of German was huge this series.  But Houston has the stud pitchers.  No doubt, it will make the Yankees overpay for Cole this off-season and he will promptly have arm issues.  But we have time for that.

Sad to see CC go out with a shoulder/arm injury but he had a great career and was a gamer.  Only fitting that more players get hurt in the playoffs.

Not over yet.  But as Joe Girardi says, “it’s not what you want.”