New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi was livid following the New York Yankees 6-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays Tuesday night after soon-to-be retired captain Derek Jeter was hit by a pitch, marking the fifth time in the past four games between these teams that a Yankee batter was plunked.
Marlins Giancarlo Stanton Posts 'Selfie' To Update Status After Getting Hit In Face
Steven Geltz hit Jeter in the eighth inning, marking the second time that Jeter was struck with a pitch in the span of the last four meetings with the team. Girardi, who said he was "pi-ed" about what happened, was seething.
"If you are going to pitch inside, pitch the right way," Girardi said afterward, according to ESPN. "If you can't pitch inside, don't pitch inside. We are not pincushions."
Dodgers OFs Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig Argue In Dugout
Geltz hit Jeter with a 93 mph pitch on an 0-2 count in the eighth inning with the Rays leading by five runs. Girardi was enraged and both benches were warned.
"If you are going to pitch inside, learn how to pitch inside," Girardi said. "You pitch down in the zone. You don't pitch up. This is not practice. This is guys' livelihood."
Yankees infielder Chase Headley, who was hospitalized after Tampa Bay hit him on the chin with a pitch on Thursday, seemed to agree with the Yankees skipper.
"You shouldn't be in the big leagues if you keep doing that consistently," Headley said.
After the incident, David Phelps threw inside to Kevin Kiermaier and was subsequently ejected as both benches and bullpens cleared, but no punches were thrown.
For his part, Ray's skipper Joe Maddon understood Girardi's frustration.
"I agree with everything he said, but to pitch inside correctly or incorrectly, that's not the point," Maddon said. "It is called baseball; sometimes hitters get hit. But I understand their frustration entirely. We are not going to apologize for it because it is part of the game. But I do get why he was upset."
Jeter, who was honored by the Rays before the game, explained the Yankees' frustrations.
"I'm sure it's a sensitive subject here, especially considering what happened with Chase the other day," Jeter said. "We had a few guys get hit, so yeah, I'm sure there's a lot of frustration, just like they were frustrated when they almost got hit. Frustration, probably on both sides."
The Yankees (76-74) remain six games out of the final AL wild-card spot that is currently held by the Kanas City Royals (82-68) and have three other teams in front of them.
The Yankees and Rays continue their series with Thursday night action at Tropicana Field.
Jeter has received plenty of gifts in his farewell tour during the final season, but the Yankees were not interested in what the Rays were doling out on Tuesday night.
For more coverage, follow us on Twitter @SportsWN and Like Us on Facebook
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.