Online Betting – Girardi Getting Some Blame for Yankees Struggles. The New York Yankees trail the ALCS against the Texas Rangers and are now underdogs in online betting to advance to the World Series. The Yankees had a chance to win Game 4 against the Internet betting odds at Sbg global but manager Joe Girardi made a decision that cost them the game.
Game 4 Loss
The Yankees had a chance to win Game 4 of the ALCS. You will look at the score of 10-3 and wonder how, but the Yankees led the game 3-2 in the top of the sixth inning. That is the inning that cost the Yankees the game and it may end up costing them the series.
Sixth Inning – The Yankees had to go with A.J. Burnett in Game 4 and whether or not that was a good decision is irrelevant since it was working out through five innings. Burnett was teetering on the edge but he had made it through five innings. Girardi tried to get a little more. That was his first mistake. His next mistake was putting the go-ahead run on base with two outs in the sixth inning. He had David Murphy intentionally walked so it was first and second with two outs. He had Joba Chamberlain ready to go in the bullpen but he let Burnett stay in the game to face Benjie Molina. That was his third and biggest mistake. Molina hit a three-run home run and that was the ball game in Internet betting.
Bad Decision – The decision to go with Burnett as the starter was somewhat defensible since he had very few options but allowing Burnett to go into the sixth inning after he had not pitched in 17 days was bad. And letting Burnett stay in the game to face Molina when he had Joba warmed up is inexcusable. It was bad enough that Girardi walked Murphy who was just a.278 hitter against Burnett but allowing Burnett to stay in against Molina was just terrible. And it cost the Yankees the game in online betting. Burnett had already thrown 97 pitches and had not looked good in the previous two innings but had escaped. Girardi defended his decision after the game but there is simply no defense. Just to get into the sixth inning with Burnett with the lead was a minor miracle. Burnett hadn’t pitched in nearly three weeks and since Aug. 2 he was 1-7 with a 6.61 ERA. Girardi could have escaped and brought Joba into the game. If the Yankees lose this series you can go back to Game 4 and blame Girardi.