Who Should We Blame Last Night's Collapse On?

Last night, the New York Yankees suffered a loss that left a bad taste in fans mouths that tasted like bleach and cow manure. First, before we dig into the stats and look who really is in the blame for this loss, let's look at how in the world the Red Sox wound up winning this game....

The Yankees had a 5-2 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, almost everybody believed that they had it in the bag, oh little did we all know. Girardi would send Tommy Layne out there to begin the inning and once Chris Young came up to bat (who mashes lefties) , he went to the bullpen and got Blake Parker who looked like he was going to finish the game. Due to the arrival of Layne and Parker, many believed that Betances was unavailable due to how exhausted he is.

Once Parker enters the game he hit Young on the tip of his helmet with a pitch that he leaned into and only hit him by an inch. Then Girardi decides that it would be a swell idea to go to Dellin Betances, who has desperately been in need of some rest due to the maximum overusage. We all know what happens after this, I do not even have to explain it. To put it simply, the Yankees blew the game.

Betances obviously could not locate any of his pitches and after the Pedroia at bat where it was obvious he was not going to swing at any pitches, Girardi should have pulled the plug on Betances right there and bring in someone else, you can't use a guy who relies on control like Betances every single night.

That is why, many people believe the blame for last nights game should be on Dellin Betances but I disagree. I believe Joe Girardi should take the blame 100% for the putrid event that happened last night. Girardi knew that Betances was exhausted which is why he didn't go to him to begin the inning, because he knew that he needed rest. But no, he just thought that it would be a great idea to go to the deadest arm in the bullpen and I wouldn't be shocked at all if Dellin Betances needs tommy john surgery in a few years thanks to how Girardi uses him.

You can't expect a guy like Betances who is a large man and relies on the control for his curveball to pitch EVERY NIGHT despite if he's tired or not. It was a really bad move by Joe. So far in the month of September, Betances has pitched 3 straight days TWICE. It has only been two weeks and Betances has already had to pitch three straight days twice, think about that for a moment.

It also does not help that the Yankees left TWELVE runners on base but that's a different story....

Therefore, The blame for last night's absolute collapse should 98% be on the hands of Girardi, 1% on the offense, and 1% on Betances.


Follow Me On Twitter - @Yankeesfan0504

Bullpen Struggles in 6-4 Loss to Blue Jays

Since the All Star Break concluded, the Yankees' bullpen has been pretty dominant.

The 8-man group, arguably the best in baseball, had given up just 2 earned runs in the last eight games going into today, a big reason why the team's gone 7-1 during that stretch.

Nonetheless, they do have bad performances every once in a while, something that unfortunetaly happened this afternoon, with Shawn Kelley, Chase Whitley, and Jeff Francis surrendering four trips around the bases as the Yanks fell to the Blue Jays 6-4.

In this one's seventh inning, after Chris Capuano impressively threw 6 frames of two-run ball, the aforementioned Kelley loaded the bases with just one out, causing him to be removed in place of Matt Thornton. 

In his outing, surprisingly, Thornton did throw the ball well, but due to a bloop infield single by Dan Johnson one of the runners he inherited found a way home, breaking a 2-2 tie.

On that play, Yanks' Second Baseman Brian Roberts originally looked like he was going to catch it, a perception proved incorrect when the flare ended up dropping in the grass, letting Melky Cabrera come in from third while putting Kelley in line for the loss and Jays' Starter Drew Hutchison (6 2/3 IP, 2 ER) for the win.

No, Kelley probably didn't deserve to take the fall, but after the Whitley/Francis duo combined to allow three more runs in the top of the ninth he did, with a late two-run home run from Carlos Beltran in the last frame and another one in the fourth from Brian McCann being all New York would get from their offense on the day. 

Yes, Derek Jeter picked up a pair of singles and Chase Headley once reached on a shift-beating bunt, although considering none of those knocks affected how the contest played out they don't really matter, an unfortunate truth.

Whitley's Six Scoreless Innings, Headley's Walk-Off Single Lift Yankees to 14-Frame Win Over Rangers

To many fans, myself included, a player doesn't officially become a Yankee until he wins a game with a big hit.

No, that thought process isn't completely fair, although it is fun to use, as it somewhat accurately measures how exciting someone is.

For example, in tonight's contest against the Rangers, the newest guy on the team helped put together a much-needed 2-1 W, one that didn't get entertaining for a while.  

After nobody scored in frames 1-12, both sides finally crossed home in the thirteenth, as J.P. Arencibia took David Huff deep to left center and Jacoby Ellsbury singled home Brett Gardner, costing Texas' Joakim Soria a save. 

Following those long-awaited thrillings, Jeff Francis, making his Bomber debut, tossed the bullpen's seventh scoreless inning, setting up what would be a very memorable bottom half.

To start off the significant at-bat, Ichiro grounded out, Brian Roberts doubled, and Francisco Cervelli moved him to third with another knock, bringing the recently-acquired Chase Headley to the plate.

Having replaced Zelous Wheeler in the bottom of the eighth, Headley quickly worked the count to 1-1 against the Rangers' Nick Tepesch, before suddenly lining one into shallow left field.

Originally, the ball looked like it might get caught, something that fortunetaly didn't end up happening, with it eventually short-hopping into Jim Adduci's glove to bring home Roberts. 

The hit, Headley's only on the night in four at-bats, brought more meaning to Chase Whitley's six shutout frames, and ended what was a marathon of a contest.

What is necessarily pretty? No (the Yankees blew a lot of chances throughout), but since it did end up finishing positively you can't help but like what happened, as it brought the Pinstripes' record to 51-48 and their number of games back in the wild card standings to 1.5, a respectable amount. 

Kuroda's Dominance Made Meaningful By McCann's Walk-Off Single in Finale Win Over Reds

If there's one thing we've learned about Hiroki Kuroda this season, it's that his record is meaningless. 

In his last three starts, the veteran's had two that he should've won but didn't and one that he shouldn't have won but did, making his current 6-6 line confusing.

And no, that annoyance didn't end today, with Kuroda earning a no decision after surrendering no earned runs in 6 2/3 innings as the Yanks completed a sweep of the Reds 3-2.

Over this afternoon's first four frames, Kuroda and his counterpart Johnny Cueto (5 IP, 2 ER) didn't give up anything, but in the top of the fifth that all changed when Brian Roberts made an error.

That misplay, coming on a routine grounder off the bat of Zack Cozart, eventually led to an unearned run, giving Cincinnati what looked like a commanding 1-0 lead.

However, with one out in the following frame the Bombers rallied, putting two men on when Kelly Johnson and Brett Gardner walked to establish a legitamate threat.

Following those well-earned ways of getting on base, Derek Jeter and Jacoby Ellsbury quickly made it 2-1 with back-to-back singles, shocking Cueto and probably many Yankee fans.

Still, that advantage wouldn't last forever, with the usually-reliable Dellin Betances getting taken deep to left by Todd Frazier in the Reds' half of the eighth.

That homer, Frazier's 20th of the year, came on a 98 MPH fastball up and in, making the fact that it happened frustrating.

Be that as it may, it's not like it mattered that much in the long run, with the Ellsbury-led Pinstripes later winning in the bottom of the ninth. 

Facing the tough Aroldis Chapman after a scoreless three out performance by David Robertson, Ellsbury collected his fourth hit to begin the frame, followed shortly by a steal of second, a wild pitch, and a strikeout of Mark Teixeira to bring up Brian McCann. 

On the first pitch of the at-bat, McCann popped one into short right field, something that should've been an extremely routine out.

Instead though, it fell in between three Cincinnati defenders, allowing Ellsbury to score.

No, it wasn't the prettiest finish of all time, but yes, it was good enough to end the contest, as it completed a perfect weekend and improved the club's record to a solid 50-47.

The Yankee Stadium Experience - Part Three: The Audi Club

PART THREE: The Audi Club

I don't want anyone to think I have an obsession with food, but the third installation of the Yankee Stadium Experience once again involves just that...food...and PLENTY of it.

If you look above the second deck at the New Yankee Stadium you will notice a glassed-in area above the 3rd base line behind the FAIR pole.  Behind the glazed glass sits 3 rows of exclusive indoor seating and dedicated dining area known as "The Audi Club"

The Audi Club as seen from the Bleachers

The cost will keep most "regular" fans (you know people like me) out of this exclusive little area, especially if you are bringing family members or that special someone with you, but on occasion you can find tickets for the Audi Club on TiqIq (right off of The Greedy Pinstripes website I might add--shameless plug) or other various ticket re-sellers on the cheap (i.e. $65-$100 range).  These tickets used to cost $150 each, but that may have changed with the recent pricing adjustments.

If you ever get the chance to see a game from the Audi Club, do it...at least once.  My family enjoyed a Yankees / Tigers game in 2009 from the "exclusive" seats compliments of some last minute online shopping and it was an awesome experience.  You get into the stadium early with a dedicated entrance (through the SAP Suite Level), there is a dedicated bar area at the front, and then a large dining area fit for a king, well at least a King that loves to eat high-end quality food in an unlimited fashion.  Yeah, this isn't buffet-style food, it's filet mignon, lobster, seared ahi tuna, sushi, and the like all prepared by chefs complete with the white chef hats.

View of the Stadium from the AUDI Club

Just a Sampling of the Tastiness that is All-You-Can-Eat Chef-Prepared Food

The view from the Audi Club is spectacular and you don't have to worry about good ol' Billy Bob spilling his bubbly Budweiser brew down your backside (bad experience at the Old Yankee Stadium with an Orioles fan in 1998...let's not talk about it...).  Three rows of true stadium seating gives each fan an unimpeded view of the action on the field through floor-to-ceiling glass, but if you have to get up from your seat to get a 5th helping of Jumbo Shrimp, you won't miss any of the action as High-Definition televisions are spread throughout the space.  It's also nice that you have access to basically private restroom facilities that don't smell entirely like beer, at least until the 7th inning.  If it is a cold and rainy day say in April, the Audi Club is perfect and very, very warm.

Three Rows of Unimpeded View Seating

Of course there are some detriments to viewing a Yankees game from inside the Audi Club.  The biggest being you don't necessarily feel like you are at a ballgame.  There's nobody yelling HOT DOGS or GIT YA BEYAH HEYAH! over and over....wait did I say detriment?  You can't hear or feel the vibes running through the Stadium, but like I said it's just one of those things worth trying once or twice if the budget allows.  If you end up finding yourself in one of these seats, get there early, fast for a few days beforehand, sit back and enjoy the sushi/filet/jumbo shrimp...and yes even gourmet hot dogs...is that even possible???