ALDS Game 2 Thoughts - Yanks & Twins

Some thoughts after surviving through game two:

• Wow.

• I don't care what Joe Girardi says.  Gardner made a huge mistake in the 10th when he was doubled off third on Damon's line drive.  With one out, Gardner could have trotted home on any ball that got through the infield.  There was no reason for Gardner to be that far off the bag and then advancing to home on a ball that had not touched the ground.  It was a stupid mistake, regardless of Girardi's excuse that it was a "tough read."

• Pulling Joba to bring in Coke to face Kubel in the seventh inning was micromanaging by Girardi at it's best.  He got the out, which was important, but there was only a runner at first with two outs.  Considering it was a tie game at that point, Girardi's willingness to run through pitchers so easily was a bit reckless and almost backfired when he was stuck with Damaso Marte to start the 11th.

• Ditto only using Alfredo Aceves for one inning.  Aceves averaged over two innings over his last 16 appearances covering August and September.  Aceves was decent but worked through a jam.  And it doesn't take a genius to want Aceves for a second inning than Marte at all.

• Burnett was typical Burnett.  Lots of walks, lots of Ks, but this time, only one run.  It was a good performance by Burnett, even if his control did seem to wander after the fourth inning.

• Some good outfield play by Nick Swisher, especially catching Gomez off second and preventing a run from scoring.  Swisher also made a nice diving catch to end the 10th.  He didn't do much at the plate but he was solid in the field.

• It may be some time before you hear anyone compare Joe Nathan to Mariano Rivera again.  Nathan has been one of the best closers of the last six years or so, possibly even better than Rivera.  But Nathan proved he doesn't have Rivera's stomach and it cost him.  His throwing error on a pick-off  attempt of Brett Gardner at second base was the final nail in Nathan's terrible evening.  It will be interesting to see if he's needed in Minnesota how he responds.

• Teixeira hasn't looked great at the plate the last few games of the season and game one of the ALDS, but he came through when it counted.  First, it was the single in the ninth that led to ARod's game tying two run homer.  Then, of course, his walkoff homer in the 11th.  For a guy who was struggling, Tex righted the ship awful quick.

• The unsung hero of the game is David Robertson, who came in to the top of the 11th with runners on first and second with no outs.  After giving up a single to load the bases, Robertson shut down the Twins on a liner to Tex, a grounder to Tex which got the force at home, and a fly out to center.  It was a brave performance by a young kid who didn't pitch much in the month of September and will certainly put him in a much better light with Joe Girardi.

• The officiating in this game, much like the Red Sox - Angels series, has been dreadful.  Home plate umpire Chuck Meriwether was all over the strike zone, spending a few innings giving the Twins pitches that were way out of the zone.  Then, third base umpire Jim Joyce completely botched a Joe Mauer  to left that tipped off Melky Cabrera's glove, fell into fair territory, and bounced into the stands.  Joyce called the ball foul despite being thirty feet away and looking directly down the line.  It changed the scope of the entire innings.  Mauer eventually singled but obviously being in scoring position would have benefited the Twins greatly.

• Alex Rodriguez.  That's all I have to say, really.