Clay Holmes faced a critical setback in his role as the Yankees’ closer during a pivotal game against the Texas Rangers. His loss of command over his sinker and overall control led to a dramatic defeat, with rookie Wyatt Langford hitting a walk-off grand slam. This loss dropped the Yankees out of first place in the AL East for the first time in nearly a month.
The Yankees bullpen asset has struggled throughout the season, now leading the major leagues in blown saves. With 11 blown saves out of 40 opportunities, he has reached the highest total for a Yankees pitcher since Dave Righetti in 1987.
Following the game, however, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was noncommittal about potentially changing the closer role. He stated that he needs to consult with his staff to determine the best course of action, avoiding an immediate commitment to Holmes.
“I’m not going to answer that right now when we’re raw and emotional,” he said after the 7-4 loss in Arlington, Texas. “We’ll talk through it and do what we think is the best thing.”
The game concluded with Holmes allowing a single to Carson Kelly, followed by walks to Josh Smith and Marcus Semien. Wyatt Langford then capitalized on a hanging slider to secure the Rangers’ victory.
Manager Aaron Boone defended Clay Holmes’ pitching abilities but acknowledged that the reliever has struggled to close out batters with two strikes. His recent performance was a decisive factor in the Yankees‘ loss, occurring at a critical time as they vie with Baltimore for the AL East title and the best record in the American League.
Boone noted that while Holmes has previously allowed soft contact hits leading to losses, this game was different. The Yankees manager highlighted the closer’s two walks and Wyatt Langford’s decisive hit as key elements in the defeat.
“Tonight they got him. A lot of the times where we’ve lost out there, it’s been, you know, soft contact,” Boone said. Obviously that wasn’t the case tonight, walked two guys and, obviously, Langford put a real charge into one. We got to make sure he’s good. … I think he handles all this very well, and he’s tough-minded for it. He’s throwing the ball really well. But obviously, you know, some tough ones here of late. but right now, Clay’s the guy”
Boone evasive but Holmes admits misstep harming Yankees
Holmes acknowledged his subpar performance, noting it was worse than other instances where he felt he had pitched well but still lost. The Yankees star conceded that the poor outcome was deserved due to his lack of effectiveness.
“There’s been times I feel like I’ve thrown well, I’ve gotten beat,” he said. “Honestly, tonight was one of those I didn’t throw very well, and wasn’t very good at all and didn’t deserve to come out on top there the way I was throwing.”
This setback follows a previous blown save by Holmes on August 18 during the Major League Baseball Little League Classic against Detroit. At that time, Boone had voiced confidence in the Yankees closer, praising his recent performances and affirming his role as the team’s primary closer.
The Yankees’ management now faces a difficult decision on the closer role, weighing Holmes’ past successes against his recent struggles as the team battles to secure a playoff position.
The Yankees skipper also voiced concern for Holmes’ well-being and praised his mental resilience in dealing with such setbacks. However, he recognized the pitcher’s recent run of challenging outings.
Holmes acknowledged the need to review his performance and address areas for improvement. He emphasized the importance of quickly moving past the setback and focusing on his strengths, noting that he has faced difficult situations before and needs to maintain a short memory.
“It’s definitely not my first tough one,” he said. “So, I think just really you’ve got to flush it, have a short memory and get back to what we do well.”
But the question remains if both Holmes and the Yankees’ management as they navigate a tight playoff race while grappling with inconsistencies in their late-game pitching.
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