It was just about three hours into Josh Bard’s managerial debut when the occasion arose for a crucial executive decision.
The Yankees, who had trailed the Detroit Tigers by as much as 8-3 on Sunday, had battled back and were three runs from tying the game with two outs in the eighth inning. The bases were loaded, and on the mound for Detroit was Victor Alcantara, who in his previous five outings had compiled an 11.57 earned run average, a spree that included allowing a two-run homer to Luke Voit on Thursday that almost earned the Yankees a win.