Not a Good Way To Start a New Year

L'Shana Tova to all our Jewish readers. I saw there was a sign behind home plate at the Yankees game last night wishing everyone in Seattle the same but I figured I'd add my wishes.

Last night's game, however, did not end well for the Yankees. Mariano Rivera blew his first save after 36 straight conversions. Rivera got two easy outs with a one-run lead but allowed a double and then a two-run home run by Ichiro.

(Side Note: For those panicking about Rivera blowing a save, know this: let him blow it now and get it out of his system. Besides Brad Lidge last season, no one who goes into the playoffs with save streaks seems to make it out of it alive. Better he blow it now than Game 7 of the ALCS vs. the Red Sox.)

I have to disagree with Peter Abraham who says that Joe Girardi made the right decision not to walk Ichiro in the 9th. Ichiro has more hits than anyone over the past decade, has set the record for hits in a season and has set the record for consecutive 200-hit seasons all to start his career. There's a runner on second. Most of the time, you don't want to put the winning run on base when that person is as fast as Ichiro. And I know that Mo doesn't like to issue intentional walks...

But a single in that situation ties the game. The rest of the Mariners' lineup is atrocious. Ichiro had been hitting great in the game but made two huge baserunning mistakes that you knew he needed to make up for somehow. You need to walk him in that situation. Put him on base. Let someone else beat you. Normally I'm not a fan of intentional walks at all, but this was one situation that seemed to dictate it.