Choke Job: Reliever & Manager Cost Yankees Win vs. Royals

ROYALS 6
YANKEES 4

If there is one aspect of the 2009 Yankees that will need to concern the team's fans and supporters, it is this: the Yankee bullpen, excluding Mariano Rivera, is a crap shoot. The Yankees don't have the perfect bridge to Rivera now that Joba Chamberlain is cemented in as the club's fifth starter, and it is very apparent that the Bombers better start to rethink the idea of having Chamberlain in the pen, or they must go out and try to find a decent eighth inning reliever.

Speaking of Chamberlain, he did get the start this afternoon, and his performance was average at best. Joba went six innings, allowed five hits and three runs on the afternoon. His biggest mistake of the day was a fat pitch he threw to John Buck who ripped the pitch out of the ballpark to tie the game at one in the third inning. However, it was not until the fourth inning that the Royals started to hit Chamberlain hard. First, David DeJesus walked, and Mark Tehan was hit by a pitch; not a good sign for Chamberlain who is wild but usually effectively wild. Three batters later, Alberto Callaspo made Chamberlain pay for his wildness by lacing a single to right to drive in DeJesus. Buck followed up with single to left to drive in Tehan, giving Kansas City a shocking 3-1 lead.

If the Yankees think that extending Chamberlain as a starter will increase his effectiveness, they are greatly mistaken. The speed on his pitches has been dropping the longer he is on the mound, and that was clearly the case today.

Still, the Bombers are not called the Bombers for nothing. The Yankees stormed back with three runs in the seventh inning to retake the lead. Xavier Nady doubled to left to drive in Nick Swisher. Robinson Cano was called safe at first after Mike Jacobs' defensive error at first allowed Hideki Matsui to score to tie the game. The Yankees finally took the lead on Melky Cabrera's RBI-double-play ground out. Hey, whatever works, I guess.

But, when it mattered most, the Yankee pen imploded. Jose Veras came in relief of Dasemo Marte, who had recorded two outs in the inning already, to face the right handed Billy Butler. Veras walked Bulter, forcing Joe Girardi to make another pitching move. Girardi, instead of bringing out Mariano Rivera for a four out save, decided to bring in Phil Choke. And, as a result, Coke choked.

First, Brayan Pena drilled a double to center to allow pinch runner Tony Pena Jr. to score from first. Next, Callaspo singled up the middle to drive in Pena to give the Royals a 5-4 lead. Finally, Buck delivered again, this time doubling to left to drive in Callaspo to make it 6-4 for good measure.

The fact that Girardi didn't have Rivera at the ready was inexcusable. Rivera has made a career of pitching the Yankees out of jams with a four or five out saves. There is no reason why he couldn't have done it in the present situation. Girardi needs to stop acting like Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa by making a million different pitching changes and simply play the game out; otherwise, he will kill his own team again. BOX SCORE.