Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa didn’t see the point in pitching his best relievers after Aaron Judge extended the Yankees lead.
Judge hit a behemoth home run into the Chicago night sky — the kind of moonshot that could go on his eventual AL MVP highlight reel.
Future Brewer Aaron Judge with a ridiculously massive blast pic.twitter.com/nFi8LvnzuY
— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) May 13, 2022
The home run wasn’t Judge’s only highlight, as an infield single helped the Yankees break a 7-7 tie the very next inning.
Judge beats out an infield single AND Gleyber with some heads-up baseunning for a second run! Yankees lead 9-7! pic.twitter.com/g49ODodYTJ
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) May 13, 2022
Even the slightest of chances at a comeback were stripped away when La Russa failed to use his best relief pitchers in the later innings. Down by two runs, Chicago had a chance to get out of the inning after Judge’s bomb. Instead, the likes of Liam Hendriks, Kendall Graveman and Matt Foster were left in the ‘pen.
Tony La Russa was preparing to use Hendriks in the ninth, possibly Foster in the 10th if the tie lasted that far. But after Judge broke the tie with infield single, was thinking in terms of saving high leverage arms for tomorrow as far as not using Graveman, or Foster or Hendriks
— James Fegan (@JRFegan) May 13, 2022
One infield single was enough to convince La Russa the game was over?
“We’re down like that you have tomorrow and who are you going to pitch?” La Russa said. “At that point we’re already down I don’t think you can waste an arm. Not waste an arm, use up an arm. That’s what I think.”
White Sox fans question Tony La Russa’s bullpen management
This is far from the first time La Russa’s use of the bullpen has come in question. But on Thursday night, a two-run deficit combined with the Chicago ‘pen’s load management was enough to make him go with low-leverage relief pitchers in a close game.
Waste an arm?? They were down 2 after that single. For the love of god that can’t be the mentality of a manager who is supposed to be leading a team with legit World Series aspirations. That is something a team like the Reds would be saying if this happened in one of their games.
— Joe Buglio (@superboogs06) May 13, 2022
Chicago went on to lose, 15-7.
Should the Sox fail to make the playoffs, or come within one game on a division championship, this will be a contest to look back on.