The Yankees Phil Up the Eighth Inning

(Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

After Brian Bruney blew the hold against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night, he had yet to pitch in another game for the Yankees until yesterday. At that moment in the Tuesday night game, I said to myself that Phil Hughes should remain in the game as he cruised through a nine pitch seventh inning. But Girardi stuck to the book and here came his "eighth inning guy."

After that game Yankee manager Joe Girardi was asked if Bruney would remain his guy to go to in the eighth inning.

Girardi said, "He's our eighth inning guy right now," Girardi said. "We expect him to pitch better. I know he has not pitched great since he's come back off the DL. He's had some good outings and he's had some tough outings. ...He's had success in that role."

Asked repeatedly about his chances of remaining the "eighth inning guy" for the team, Bruney has repeatedly taken the high road, saying he doesn't care who gets the outs. 

"There is the 9th inning guy (Mariano Rivera) and everybody else," said Bruney. "As long as we win the game, I don't care who gets the outs." 

Good team concept by Brian—something the Yankees need in the face of a media driven "problem." Next time when asked, Bruney would be wise to point to his ring finger on his left hand and say, "See this finger? I want a World Series ring on it next year, and it doesn't matter how it gets there."
 
Entering the eighth inning Friday afternoon,* the Yankees held a 3-2 lead over the Toronto Blue Jays. With power hitting lefty Adam Lind due up, Yankee manager Joe Girardi sent for LHP Phil Coke and not Brian Bruney to start the eighth inning. It was a smart move as Coke has been ultra-effective the last month and great against lefties.

* I absolutely love daytime games, and in this wrap around series (four games over the Friday-Monday weekend) with the Blue Jays, the Yankees will host four straight day games. There should be more of these contests, even on weekdays. Nothing better than taking a few breaks at work, watching a ballgame.

However, when Coke was removed it wasn't Bruney who came in to get the last two outs, but it was Hughes who came running in from the bullpen. Hughes did the job, and after an Alex Rodriguez HR and one-two-three ninth for Rivera, the Yankees had another win.

What is the big deal about who pitches what inning? Although I have never been a big Brian Bruney fan, I feel for him because he has to answer the same questions over and over. And he has answered them the same way every time.

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