Again facing rapid-fire questions about his decisions the night before that backfired, one in particular revolving around not challenging a critical hit-by-pitch call in the sixth inning, Joe Girardi didn't pass the buck.
"I screwed up," the besieged Yankees manager said Saturday afternoon.
The Yankees blew an 8-3 lead in Game 2 of the American League Division Series Friday night in Cleveland, eventually falling, 9-8, in 13 innings to the Indians.
Instead of seizing momentum by tying the best-of-five series at one game apiece, the Yankees trail 2-0 heading into Game 3 Sunday night at Yankee Stadium.
After the loss, Girardi was peppered with questions regarding his decision to pull CC Sabathia when he did, and perhaps sticking too long with Chad Green and David Robertson, both whom gave up critical home runs.
But most of the cross examination was about a hit batsman.
With two on and two outs in the sixth and the Yankees leading 8-3, Green allowed a double off the left-field wall by Yan Gomes that put runners at second and third.
Pinch hitter Lonnie Chisenhall appeared to strike out on a foul tip that was held by Gary Sanchez _ replays showed the ball hit the nob of the bat _ but plate umpire Dan Iassogna ruled the pitch hit Chisenhall to load the bases.
Sanchez immediately yelled to the dugout he felt the ball hit the bat and not Chisenhall but Girardi, with both of his challenges left, chose not to use one of them. He said Brett Weber, who runs the Yankees replay system and tells Girardi whether or not to challenge calls, had not yet seen a conclusive replay in the allotted 30 seconds showing what Sanchez claimed.
Francisco Lindor came next and crushed a tide-turning grand slam that made it 8-7.
"Brett Weber has been so good at what he does that when he tells me that something's not inconclusive, I believe him, because he's been so good," said Girardi, whose team has consistently led MLB in successful replay challenges since the system was introduced.
Still...
"I take full responsibility," Girardi said. "It's not Brett's fault. It's my fault."
Girardi said Sanchez's reaction was not relevant, pointing out, correctly, that players almost always want a challenge on close plays.
"There's a lot of players that tell you to challenge things a lot of times," Girardi said. "That's the one thing we don't get caught up, when a player tells you to challenge something, because it's not always the case (that they're right)."
He added later: "I mean, how many times have you seen a player, say check, check, check, and it ends up being the call that they called? Again, I screwed up. And it's hard. It's a hard day for me."
