Yankees: Joe Girardi takes blame for miffed call in Game 2, apologizes to fans

Yankees fans were incensed with the manager following Friday’s matchup. But the skipper attempted to make amends in his press conference on Saturday.

A few words could have been the difference. It was a complete “would have, could have, should have” moment for New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi.

And the skipper’s decision to resist pulling the trigger in a critical moment ultimately cost his team the game. He even admitted to it.

“I screwed up,” Girardi said in a news conference Saturday. “It’s hard. … I take responsibility for everything, and I feel horrible about it.”

New York held a 8-3 lead in Cleveland, tallying more than a handful of runs against the likely American League Cy Young winner, Corey Kluber. The Yankees looked to be heading back home tied 1-1 in the series.

Then the call happened.

Indians outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall stood at the plate and was seemingly hit by a 2-2 pitch from reliever Chad Green. Except, according to the replay footage, the ball hit Chisenhall’s bat and landed in catcher Gary Sanchez’s glove. Instead of being rebuffed, Cleveland loaded the bases and had a prime opportunity to close the gap.

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The five-run lead dwindled with just one swing of the bat. The culprit: Indians superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor.

Green served up a slider destined for the outside of the plate, but it ended up almost right down the pipe. The Puerto Rican native got all of it, crushing it into the right field stands, energizing the packed house at Progressive Field.

Cleveland tied the game up in the eighth before capping off the victory in the 13th inning on a Yan Gomes dribbler down the third base line. It was possibly the best victory for the Indians of the 2017 season, even better than their 22nd straight victory last month.

And it was possibly the most deflating loss for a young Yankees squad.

Girardi defended his decision following the game, claiming he was taking too long to make the call. He said managers have 30 seconds to challenge the play, according to MLB rules.

Several fans and non-fans were livid with the coach’s decision, and many expressed their anger via Twitter. And it could be the reason New York gets eliminated from the playoffs after just three games.

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That will be decided Sunday, when the Indians visit the Yankees for Game 3. Carlos Carrasco will get the nod for the sweep, while Masahiro Tanaka will look to keep his team’s chances alive.

It could be the most important game in each hurler’s career up to this point.