The Yankees suffered a major blow on Monday afternoon after they were forced to move their captain and top player Aaron Judge to the injured list. Another misfortune struck them at night, as the team had another tragic loss thanks to a misstep by manager Aaron Boone.
While the Yankees offense was struggling, starter Domingo German held the Guardians without giving a run. But Boone replaced him with Clay Holmes and it proved to be the turning point. While the bullpen’s overall performance is a cause for concern, the decision is sure to invite scrutiny.
The Yankees had their worst April in years and they entered May without their best hitter and in a bitter mood.
“It’s been tough,” catcher Jose Trevino described the situation. “I know each and every one of us believe in each other. And at some point, this thing is going to turn around.”
German was at his best
After allowing 10 runs in 12 innings in his previous two starts, German was hoping to get back on track and lower his ERA (5.54) to where it had been before. Things started off perfectly for German as April gave way to May. Amed Rosario’s first-inning single was the only one he allowed. In just 45 pitches (32 strikes), German retired three of the four batters he faced.
Before Josh Bell walked to start the 5th, German had retired the previous 10 Guardians in a row. He stranded Cleveland’s second runner of the game at first by getting Mike Zunino to glance at a curveball and Will Brennan to tap out to the mound.
The Cleveland lineup couldn’t do much more to help German out in the seventh inning, and the result was an easy out after just seven pitches. After that walk, German retired the next 12 batters on only 82 pitches.
Thanks to German, the Yankees took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning. German allowed a single to Steven Kwan with one out and on his 88th pitch.
However, manager Aaron Boone stepped off the bench to bring in Clay Holmes after Steven Kwan singled with one out. It angered the 33,000 people in attendance at Yankee Stadium.
Up until the 8.1 innings, German was outstanding. Despite throwing 88 pitches (65 strikes), he only allowed one run on two hits and one walk while striking out six. The right-hander, aged 30, knocked out twenty of the twenty-eight batters he faced on his first pitch.
The bullpen meltdown
On Monday, Domingo German prevailed against the Guardians over a period of eight innings. But Boone stunned fans in The Bronx when he decided to remove him from the mound in the ninth inning. It proved to be a blunder that saw the bullpen falling apart as the Guardians upset them 3-2.
Boone’s chosen Clay Holmes and Wandy Peralta destroyed a precious gem and squandered the lead.
The Yankees (15-15) sit around the .500 mark, having lost four in a row for the first time this season, and will be without Judge (right hip strain) for at least another six days.
Rosario’s gentle tapper resulted in an error due to Holmes’ mistake, and the bases were loaded with one out thanks to a single by Jose Ramirez.
Holmes got the ground ball he was hoping for from Josh Naylor, but it squirted through a gap to the right. The ball got by Oswald Peraza at second base and resulted in two runs being scored, tying the game.
“Bottom line: I need to be better,” said Holmes, who looked far from his form in last year’s first half. “It’s a situation there where [I] just need to get a ground ball and make a pitch. Just didn’t get the job done.”
Due to Oswaldo Cabrera’s poor throw, both runners were able to advance to third base, prompting Boone to replace the subpar Holmes with Wandy Peralta. After walking Bell, Peralta finally got Andres Gimenez to swing, but then he walked Zunino on a long count, allowing Cleveland to score and get a 3-2 advantage.
Two Yankees relievers combined to throw 29 pitches (14 strikes) and allow two hits, two walks, and two runs in a loss. Holmes has had seven saves squandered by him since the start of last season.
Emmanuel Clase needed just 12 pitches to shut out his opponent. To guarantee a crushing defeat for New York, he convinced pinch-hitter Aaron Hicks to take a swing. The Yankees are the only club in the AL East that is currently in last place, with a 15-15 record.
To force in a run, Peralta intentionally walked Josh Bell. The lefty got the second out by striking out Andres Gimenez, but then he walked Mike Zunino, who eventually scored the game-winning run.
“Obviously, it didn’t work, so ultimately that falls on me,” said Boone, who added he has no hesitation in turning to Holmes in high-leverage situations.
When Holmes faced three batters but was unable to record any outs, he blew his second of four save opportunities. He has been worse at keeping runners off base, having walked five in 9 2/3 innings. Previously weak points of contact are now being hit with more force by batters.
“Just that next level of command,” Boone said about what has been missing from Holmes’ game. “That’s it because it’s all in there.”
The Yankees didn’t accomplish much against Emmanuel Clase in the ninth inning, which led to what might have been the worst defeat of the season. The fans booed after Hicks was out.
Yankees offense showed spine
In their last four games, the Yankees have scored six runs, but they didn’t do so until the third inning. Jose Trevino blasted his third home run of the year against Cleveland’s Cal Quantrill, sending the ball into the left-field seats.
Anthony Rizzo walked, Gleyber Torres hit a single to right-center, and DJ LeMahieu hit a single to left-center to start a comeback with two outs, which added another run and seemed to be enough for German.
German eliminated 11 Guardians after Rosario’s hit. In the fifth inning, he retired the next 13 batters after the walk. His work was excellent, and he fulfilled his responsibilities diligently. It was only Boone who threw things into disarray and watched helplessly as his team lost the game.
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