Does Joe Girardi Want To Win The Division?

I know more than anyone you need to rest your big guns out of the bullpen, but it seems of late that Joe Girardi is going to lesser in pitchers in high leverage situations (yes that was me actually using a metrics term).

It would seem the Red Sox skid of eight losses in 10 games is influencing how Girardi uses his pen. The Yankees lineup is short and got shorter tonight with injuries, so the games are tight and the Yankees have lost three of them in a row. Scott Proctor, Aaron Laffey, and Luis Ayala combined to lose the latter two. Saturday night down 1-0 in the 7th, Girardi went to Hector Noesi, who has really struggled of late. Moments later it was a 3-0 deficit.

Make that 5-0...Jeff Mathis who can't hit anyone, except the Yankees, just hit a 2-run home run off Noesi.

Go for the division Joe, don't try to back into it.

The Luxury of Losing

The Yankees lost the division series for the 3rd straight year, but that didn't stop them from having to cough up $23.88 million in luxury tax. The bill is almost $3 million less than last season, and nearly $10 million less than 2005.

The only other team with a tab was the Red Sox, who gladly traded $6.06 million for a title. Source

The Luxury of Losing

The Yankees lost the division series for the 3rd straight year, but that didn't stop them from having to cough up $23.88 million in luxury tax. The bill is almost $3 million less than last season, and nearly $10 million less than 2005.

The only other team with a tab was the Red Sox, who gladly traded $6.06 million for a title. Source