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.
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.
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.
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.
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.