Aroldis Chapman might need to cool it on social media.
During the sixth inning of the New York Yankees’ 13-inning, 9-8 loss to the Cleveland Indians on Friday, Yankees manager Joe Girardi made a mistake that might’ve cost his team a chance to tie the American League Division Series at a game apiece.
Before Cleveland shortstop Francisco Lindor hit a grand slam to bring the Indians within one run, Yankees reliever Chad Green hit Lonnie Chisenhall to load the bases. Except the pitch, which came on an 0-2 count, actually hit Chisenhall’s bat before landing in the glove of Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez. It should’ve been strike three, and the inning should’ve been over.
While the umpires missed the play, the cameras sure didn’t, which is why many were stunned that Girardi didn’t challenge the call. One of those people seems to be Aroldis Chapman, who after the game liked an Instagram post that called for Girardi to lose his job.
Safe to say that Aroldis Chapman isn’t the biggest Joe Girardi fan pic.twitter.com/enCDGtKGFZ
— Yankees On This Day (@all_yankees) October 7, 2017
Yikes.
Here’s the play that has everyone so fired up:
That hit the bat, yo. pic.twitter.com/uxEjFNsZoy
— Nick Pollack (@PitcherList) October 6, 2017
The Yankees closer, who’s since unliked the post, apologized to Girardi on Saturday, and claimed he didn’t know he hit “like,” Newsday Sports’ Anthony Rieber reports.
Aroldis Chapman went in to Joe Girardi's office and apologized for what the closer said was accidentally "liking" an Instagram post ….(2)
— Anthony Rieber (@AnthonyRieber) October 7, 2017
(2) last night that called the manager an "imbecile" — according to a Yankees official, Chapman was unaware he liked the posting.
— Anthony Rieber (@AnthonyRieber) October 7, 2017
;So to recap: Aroldis Chapman apologized to Joe Girardi today and does not think he should be fired and does not think he's an imbecile.
— Anthony Rieber (@AnthonyRieber) October 7, 2017
Hey, we’ve all accidentally done the old double-tap and liked something we didn’t mean to, right?
Wrong. That doesn’t happen, and everyone knows it.
While the incident during Friday’s game likely plays a role in Chapman’s apparent disdain for Girardi, it’s probably not the only factor.
Thumbnail photo via Wendell Cruz/USA TODAY Sports Images
