Yankees have to win 3 games in a row.

Three different Yankee starting pitchers will have to start all three of those games.

The starting pitchers will be Tanaka, Severino, and Gray.

What difference does it make when they pitch?:

"So how does Joe Girardi redeem himself for that indefensible decision not to challenge the now-famous missed call in Game 2?

I’m not sure he can, to be honest. Certainly he took an important step on Saturday at his press conference by taking responsibility for it, saying, 'I screwed up,' a dramatic shift from the excuse-making on Friday night in Cleveland."

A very important step, yes. The Yankees won the game after the umpires reviewed Girardi's postgame press conference.


"In his heyday The Boss might well have fired Girardi before Game 3 over such a preventable misstep, and while Hal Steinbrenner has shown no such impulsive behavior, the outcry among fans and media is such that you have to wonder if he’ll feel the need to act."

Ridiculous.

George fired managers in the middle of a playoff series?

That would help the Yankees defeat a superior Indians team?


"Girardi’s contract expires when the season ends, and the Yankee brass is well aware that he’s not terribly popular among fans - though that shouldn’t be a basis for evaluation."

No. John Haper's column in the Daily News should be a basis for evaluation.


"So how does the comeback begin?

Here’s where I think Girardi has already missed another opportunity: I’d start Luis Severino in Game 3 and push Masahiro Tanaka back to Game 4.

Sure, they both have to pitch if the Yankees are going to get this thing back to Game 5, but I wouldn’t want to lose the series without ever giving the ball to my best starting pitcher.

And I have to believe Severino has a gem in him after what happened in the wild-card game, when he clearly was overwhelmed by the moment, pitching his first post-season game.

You tried to explain why Severino should start Game Three, but you didn't give any good reasons why Severino should start Game Three.


"If nothing else, the Yankees should want to find that out because if Severino somehow were to struggle badly again, it would be cause to wonder about his ability to handle big-game pressure."

Right.

That would be important to know because ... ummm ...


"Tanaka, meanwhile, didn’t pitch against the Indians during the season, but he hasn’t fared particularly well against them in his career, going 1-2 with a 4.63 ERA.

More significantly, with Tanaka you never know what you’re going to get, especially this season. When he was on his game he was brilliant, never more so than in his final start of the season, striking out 15 Blue Jays’ hitters while pitching six shutout innings."

This is all true.

So are the Yankees going to trade for Justin Verlander prior to Game Four?

I am reading it and kind of not believing it. Like Girardi is going to get a parade down Fifth Avenue when the Yankees lose in four games instead of losing in three games.


Girardi's job security is another matter.

He had a great season, once again showed his knack with young players and with the bullpen, had a nice game in the Wild Card, then a disastrous game in the ALDS, is not a very charismatic guy. Like most Yankee fans, I could take him or leave him. Ten years, if you can believe it.

As for this series? The Yankees are sunk. The Indians are better at just about everything, including managing. I think we all knew that before the series started.