Would you say Joe Girardi overmanaged the game last night?
Phil Hughes faced 3 batters and recorded 2 outs.
Phil Coke threw one pitch for a liner that went straight to Mark Teixeira.
Joba threw 2 pitches to get a ground ball to end the 8th.
Sitting in the bar last night I was rubbing my eyes trying to figure out why Joe G. was making so many moves (half price domestics slows down my thinking). So here's my sober take:
The Hughes move was the right one, and Joe G. deserves a little praise for going to his stopper at the critical point in the game, not the late point. If Joe Torre were still around, Hughes could not have pitched during the 7th inning because he'd be the 8th inning guy.
And if Hughes had been less successful, I can see how the ball could have gone straight to Mo in the 8th inning of a close game because of the offday today. Since it was a blowout, Joe G. gave Coke and Joba a chance to chase out the butterflies- if they get into trouble, Enter Sandman.
And I can see how (now) it's worthwhile to let Mo shake off any rust that might have started to accumulate in the last 4 days, and to make sure Mo doesn't go a week without pitching. Better to have Mo do what my brother called his 'human impression' now rather than in a tight spot.
Despite my first instinct to criticize Girardi, all of his bullpen moves last night were good ones.