Time to end the great Farnsworth experiment

Most Yankees fans have known it's a bad idea to give Kyle Farnsworth the title of "the eighth inning guy." While he had a decent run earlier this season, he has proven time and time again to be unreliable.

Tonight, with the Yankees leading 6-4 going to the bottom of the eighth, Joe Girardi went to Farnsworth to set up for Mariano Rivera.

Good thing it was a two-run lead, because Farnsworth promptly served up a solo home run to cut the lead to one.

Edwar Ramirez, who has not given up a run all season, recorded the final two outs of the seventh inning to clean up Jose Veras' mess. Throwing only five pitches, he easily could have pitched the eighth too.

Girardi cannot be tied down to specific roles, especially in this "feeling-out" post-Joba Chamberlain period.

Farnsworth has given up four home runs in his last 5 1/3 innings pitched. Overall, Farnsworth has surrendered eight home runs in 24 1/3 innings this season. That is not who you want coming in to pitch the eighth inning in a close game. Hopefully Girardi will remember that the next time the Yankees have a close lead late in the game.