new york yankees manager Joe Girardi admitted that he should have challenged a key call in the sixth inning of their 9-8 loss to the Cleveland Indians Friday in Game 2 of the American League Division Series. Girardi was blamed for the loss after he failed to challenge a hit-by-pitch call on Lonnie Chisenhall with the Yankees leading, 8-3. Based on replays, Chad Green’s pitch hit the knob of Chisenhall’s bat. After the ball hit the bat, it landed directly into catcher Gary Sanchez's glove, making it an inning-ending strikeout.

Without a challenge from Girardi, Chisenhall moved to first base, loading the bases.

Then, Francisco Lindor hit a grand slam off Green, turning the game into a close one. In the eighth inning, Jay Bruce tied the game with a solo homer while Yan Gomes hit a walk-off RBI single in the 13th to give the Indians a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

Girardi wants to move on from mistake

"I screwed up. And it's hard," Girardi said, per MLB.com. However, Girardi said the team has to move on from his costly mistake and focus on winning Sunday’s Game 3 to keep the series alive. Earlier, the skipper explained that he did not receive a super slow-motion replay in time to challenge and did not want to disrupt Green's rhythm. Girardi’s move to lift starter CC Sabathia after just 77 pitches was also being questioned.

Before he was pulled out, Sabathia retired 12 of the 13 batters he previously faced.

Instead, Girardi replaced Sabathia with Green, who gave up the grand slam to Lindor. In 5 1/3 frames, Sabathia yielded four runs – two earned -- on three hits with three walks and five strikeouts. Aaron Hicks hit a three-run homer while Gary Sanchez and Greg Bird each hit two-run long balls for the Yankees.

Dellin Betances (0-1) was saddled with the loss after giving up the game-winning hit to Gomes.

Tomlin earns win for Indians

Josh Tomlin (1-0), a starter during the regular season, earned the win after pitching two innings of relief. He and Cody Allen combined to hold the Yankees to just one hit in the last four innings. Starter Corey Kluber lasted just 2 2/3 frames after giving up six runs on seven hits with a walk and four strikeouts.

Lindor finished with four RBIs while Carlos Santana drove in two runs for the Indians, who will have a chance to wrap up the series Sunday. The Indians will put Carlos Carrasco on the mound against Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka. History is on the Indians’ side as 49 out of 56 teams that took a 2-0 lead have won the series.
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