Around the Empire: Yankees news - 10/7/17

Around the Empire

SBNation | Grant Brisbee: This is not going to be a long link dump. There’s only one real story of the night that matters and Grant Brisbee lays it out perfectly. Joe Girardi didn’t challenge a question call by the ump and it possibly cost the Yankees the game and the ALDS. Girardi challenges everything. Yet here we are. After a few days of one of the best managerial games of his pinstriped tenure, here we are with his worst. Why didn’t he challenge?

MLB | Bryan Hoch: Apparently he didn’t challenge the play because, as a former catcher, he was concerned with the breaking pitching rhythm of Chad Green. If you’re at a loss for words over this reasoning, you are not alone. Gary Sanchez immediately called for the replay. He’s right there. He saw and heard it. The Yankees were up by five runs and you have both David Robertson and Aroldis Chapman warmed up if you need to take Green out. There’s no worthwhile excuse for not challenging that call.

Newsday | Anthony Rieber: There’s also the matter of removing CC Sabathia way too early in the game. CC was pitching well. CC can also get into trouble in the later innings and Girardi has access to Green, D-Rob, and so on. This is where I don’t get on Girardi. With the bullpen he has access to, removing CC is probably the safe bet. Challenging the call is literally the safest bet though. Sigh.

New York Daily News | Peter Botte: Oh yeah, and pinch runner Ronald Torreyes got picked off of second base. The Yankees were given a gift when a Todd Frazier easy ground ball out was Knoblauch’d into the Progressive Field seats. Okay. I’m done. It’s 7AM, but it’s definitely time for a drink.