Forget Mariano Rivera — the Yankees have a new closer. In case you were wondering what the highest payroll in baseball can buy, here’s the answer: a pitching staff that gives up 15 runs on 17 hits. Since the game was already out of hand at 15-5 in the bottom of the 8th, Joe Girardi decided to have utility man Nick Swisher throw the final half-inning for the Yanks.
Girardi’s decision was actually pretty smart considering he only burned three relievers on the staff despite Chien-Ming Wang lasting just one inning of his start. It was actually pretty funny watching the guys in the dugout crack up. Notice how Jose Molina didn’t even put down a sign at first. Ultimately this is just another example of what a good sport Swisher is — he hadn’t even pitched since his freshman year of high school. By the way, does anybody feel worse than Gabe Kapler right about now? How do you punch out against a guy throwing softer than BP fastballs??
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Two of the crazy things that can happen in a blowout are a position player pitching for the team that’s behind, or, one of my favorite things, the seldom used bullpen pitcher coming in in the 7th and pithing three complete innings for a save in a laugher.
Kapler and the Rays had the last laugh – actually, the laughter started in the 2nd inning.