New York Daily News

Aroldis comes through for Joe in wake of Instagram fiasco

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NEWS ANDREW SAVULICH/DAILY

JOE Girardi certainly did not come out looking like an imbecile, and he did not have to admit he screwed anything up, after putting the ball in the fire-breathing left hand of Aroldis Chapman for the final five outs on Sunday night.

Chapman had apologized to Girardi one day earlier for what he insisted was an accidental “liking” of an Instagram comment – which had called for the manager’s job and referred to him as an imbecile — while scrolling through his phone on the team’s flight back to the Bronx.

All clearly was forgiven and maybe even eventually will be for Girardi, who was booed lustily during pre-game introducti­ons for his video-review blunder two nights earlier in Cleveland.

“I was checking my social media and by accident I hit the like button on one of those comments. I spoke to Joe (Saturday) and I told Joe it was an accident,” Chapman said through a translator after the game. “To be clear here, I’m 100% behind my manager and behind my teammates here.

“I completely disagree with that statement and any negative statement that has to do with our team.”

To be clear here, let’s not forget that Chapman was the one who expressed serious displeasur­e with Cubs manager Joe Maddon over his extended usage last season during Chicago’s title run. The Cuban lefty appeared in 13 postseason games for the Cubs, throwing 97 pitches over 5.1 innings in the final three games of the World Series. “It’s definitely an experience I wasn’t used to, throwing multiple innings in postseason, but going through all that, it prepares you and helps you do your job,” Chapman said Sunday.

Still, removing Masahiro Tanaka at 92 pitches after seven terrific shutout innings, and turning over a 1-0 lead to a bullpen that had been heavily taxed already through the first three playoff games, instantly opened up Girardi for more secondgues­sing, especially on the heels of his colossal gaffe in Game 2 on Friday.

On top of all the criticism Girardi deservedly received, he also woke up Saturday to the Instagram mess.

“We talked about it,” Girardi said. “He came in and apologized. He was concerned about it that night.

“I really believe him, I take his word for it that it was an accident and we move forward.”

Fast forward a few hours. Here came David Robertson for the first out of the eighth before the manager strode to the mound and quickly summoned Chapman.

“Chappy’s been in so many big games, he understand­s,” Girardi said. “Remember where Chappy was last year at the end of the year, he’s been in these games.”

This was the same Chapman, mind you, whom the Yankees traded last July and then re-signed to an $86 million contract as a free agent during the offseason, and then demoted from his closer’s role during a midseason bout with wildness only to reinstall him over the past month or so. he lefty threw 34 pitches in all on Sunday night, blowing away Yan Gomes and Giovanny Urshela to finish the eighth and Francisco Lindor to start the ninth. Singles by Jason Kipnis and Jose Ramirez provided just enough added tension before ex-Met Jay Bruce struck out for the fourth time on the night and Carlos Santana skied a 3-2 pitch to Aaron Hicks in center to get the Yankees to Game 4.

In all, 10 of Chapman’s offerings clocked in at least 102 miles per hour.

“This is a decisive game, you can’t hold back,” Chapman said. “Everything you have, you have to go out there and give it all you have. Like I said before, without tonight, there is no tomorrow.”

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 ??  ?? Masahiro Tanaka is amped up after stranding runner at third base in 4th inning Sunday night as the righty saves Yankees, helping them stave off eliminatio­n in ALDS.
Masahiro Tanaka is amped up after stranding runner at third base in 4th inning Sunday night as the righty saves Yankees, helping them stave off eliminatio­n in ALDS.

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