Girardi's non-challenge of the hit by pitch call is what ultimately cost the Yankees the game last night. When your catcher is screaming foul at you, and the batter doesn't even go through the motions of being hit by a pitch, challenge the damn play! You have literally nothing to lose, especially in the sixth inning of a postseason game...if you lose, the bases are loaded, but if you win (which you would have), the inning is over!
His excuse of not challenging because he didn't want to distrupt Chad Green's focus is utter bullcrap. Of course, Chad Green shouldn't even have been pitching at the time, because CC Sabathia was still in command and retiring batters with just 77 pitches and shouldn't have been pulled...especially when they've already over-relied on the bullpen the previous two games because of stupid decisions regarding starting pitching!
Girardi said that pulling CC after 5 1/3 was the plan all along. He needs to learn to throw away that damn planbook and make decisions based on the events of the game at the time. He's never been very good with thinking on the spot, as evidenced by all the times he gets flustered when his damn plans go awry.
I guarantee you that if George Steinbrenner were still alive, he'd have been fired years ago!
TL;DR, when the Yankees now inevitably get swept by the Indians tomorrow, it will be entirely Joe Girardi's fault.
