Giese Leaves Game; So Does Home Plate Ump

I speculated that Dan Giese might be needed in long relief today. Turned out Rasner gave the team 5 quality innings, leaving down 3-1 thanks to the Yankees offense deciding to take another game off, saving their energy for those important rounds of golf that they're eagerly anticipating come October.

Joe Girardi inserts this past Saturday's starter Dan Giese to replace Rasner in the bottom of the 6th inning. Giese proceeds to load the bases without recording an out, and then was forced to leave the game with an injury. Unbelievable. Now David Robertson is brought in to try and get out of a bases loaded, nobody out jam--why not just have Robertson start the inning? You are talking about Giese being your starter on Tuesday, I don't really understand the point in using him, even for one inning, for today's game.

In the midst of Robertson's attempt at portraying Harry Houdini, home plate umpire Mike Winters was struck with a foul tip and forced to leave the game. A lengthy delayed followed, completely disrupting Robertson's perceived rhythm on the mound. He only allowed 1 of the 3 inherited runners to score, a job very well done considering he started with the bags juiced and nobody out. Time for the offense is quickly running out.

UPDATE: It was announced that Giese left the game with an "injured neck/shoulder". 2 shutout innings from Robertson, and the bottom of the order gets the first two men on in the top of the 8th on singles from Pudge and Betemit. Melky Cabrera is your next batter, and instead of keeping him in CF and having him bunt to try and cut the lead to 4-3...Girardi sends up Sexson, looking to tie the game on one swing. Sexson strikes out swinging, leaving the runners implanted at 1st and 2nd and bringing up Damon and Abreu without as good of a chance of driving in runs. Question the logic of Joe on that move.

Second Update: That rally led to 1 run that scored on a swinging third strike by Bobby Abreu that magically got away from Joe Mauer, allowing the Pudge to score from 3rd. A-Rod flew out to center on a 3-1 pitch to end the rally, and now Billy Traber is in the game. Seems as though Girardi is raising the white flag throwing this scrub in there against Mauer and Morneau.