Other than Utley (2 home runs), Sabathia was having a pretty good outing - but he had thrown a lot of pitches. Showing all the imagination of a modern manager, Girardi paid attention to the pitch count instead of the flow, and took him out at the start of the 8th. Phil Huges promptly walked two batters, so Damaso Marte was brought in.

A manager who just paid attention to the game, and ignored pitch count would have stayed with Sabathia, maybe lifting him when Utley came up.

Sheesh. As I was writing this, Marte got two batters out, and just got lifted for Dave Robertson. Now I'll have to bring this up: say the Yankees manage to score two runs in their next two at bats, typing the game. Congratulation, Joe - you've depleted your bullpen in a fit of managerial over-intervention.

Update: Bah. Robertson walked one, and then Ibanez got a junk hit. I still say Sabathia should have stayed in

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