[ad_1]
HOUSTON –Yankees manager Aaron Boone has said for the past week that he’s been looking for good places to give his closest $ 16 million chance to come out of the worst crisis of his career.
Boone managed to get Aroldis Chapman to pitch on the eighth last Thursday in Seattle with the Yankees down three points and on their way to a 4-0 loss. It seemed like the perfect place, but Boone chose to find work for Wandy Peralta. The skipper responded to this by saying that Chapman’s next outing could be a save situation, even though the struggling Cuban southpaw has a 34.71 ERA in his last four outings and an 18.90 ERA in his last four outings. of his last 10.
Introducing Yankees Insider: Receive exclusive news, behind-the-scenes insight and the ability to text directly with the beat makers
Two nights later, the ultimate closing situation occurred on Saturday night when the Yankees took a 1-0 lead in the ninth. By this point, Gerrit Cole had racked up a 112 pitch count in eight innings, six less than his career-high, and he had gotten there in a start that was in jeopardy last Wednesday and Thursday because he was so sick that he was on an IV.
Chapman warmed up in the pen and was ready to spell Cole, but Boone stayed in place with his exhausted but determined ace, which was left to throw 129 pitches to complete a three-hit shutout.
Come Sunday, the Yankees’ last game before the All-Star break, another seemingly perfect opportunity for Chapman has presented itself.
The Yanks went ninth-seeded 7-2 over the Astros, who had their four, five and six hitters to come in a lineup that lacked two injured stars. Why not start the round with Chapman, who had a five-point lead with Chad Green in the pen to support him if there were more struggles?
This time, Chapman didn’t even get up, as Boone chose to start the ninth with Domingo German, who had already worked two relief shutout innings. After two consecutive hits, Boone brought in Green, who had nothing. Two doubles and a single from the start made it a 7-5 game and brought the winning point to home plate with no one going out.
Chapman was still sitting there in the pen like he was another Nick Nelson. From there, Green got his first outing on a short soft liner, uplifting No.1 Yankees villain, Jose Altuve.
That same May 6 showdown at Yankee Stadium ended with Altuve hitting a three-run homer in the eighth inning against Green who rallied the Astros to a 7-4 win that prevented a Yankees sweep. This past misery hasn’t stopped Boone from staying with Green, and three lengths later it was the same result.
Altuve played a flat 1-1 curve on the left-field wall for an 8-7 victory over the Astros, and the Yankees were sent into another staggering break in a long list of terrible first-half losses. -time.
Here’s how Boone explained not using Chapman on Sunday:
“Look, I’m trying to put him in situations where …”
Boone didn’t finish his thought, then after a short break added, “I think he’s obviously so critical to our success. And it’s essential that we get it back to where we need it to be. And I want to pick the situations where I think he gets a clean exit under his belt. (Sunday), with the Domingo kind of cruise and having the head (five rounds), I was comfortable with that. And then once it got into a save situation, I wanted to go with Green.
What Boone left out was the obvious: there is now no confidence in using Chapman in any situation from the manager, his coaches and probably, more importantly, the geniuses of the game. analysis of the Yankees, who have a lot more organizational power than you might think (or they’d never admit).
All the while, Boone continues to say that Chapman is not far from starting the season as good as he has ever been with a 0.39 ERA with 12 saves on 13 occasions and 43 strikeouts in 23. innings through June 7, statistics that led to a seventh All-Star selection in his 12 seasons in MLB.
What does Chapman think about being ignored by Green for holding two ninth inning advances over the past week?
Where is his head?
What is his reaction to entering the break with no appearances in five games as he was fragile but effective working a scoreless ninth to close the Yankees’ 12-1 win in Seattle on Tuesday night, an outing he pulled out to the side but walked two, threw a wild pitch and allowed a shot?
These questions have not been answered as Chapman has not done an interview since the night he lost a four-point lead in the ninth inning in the Yankees’ brutal 11-8 loss to the Angels on June 30. It was Chapman’s first game in a week, and first since he was angry with Boone for changing his mind immediately after a visit to the ninth inning mound and ordering an intentional march that charged this base with the Yankees for a run over Kansas City. Chapman quickly walked into the tying point and allowed a simple tiebreaker in the infield.
This brewing problem didn’t turn into more because the Yankees rallied to win in the bottom of the ninth and Boone cleaned the air afterward telling Chapman that in hindsight he had taken a bad decision by requesting the pass.
I wonder what Chapman thinks now of Boone, pitching coach Matt Blake and the others who decide who throws and when?
Regardless, Chapman traveled to Denver for Tuesday night’s All-Star Game, badly in need of work as he has only appeared in three of the Yankees’ last 16 games. He’s been working on delivery issues for over three weeks, but apparently he’s made little to no progress. Had he done so, Chapman would at least have benefited from some low-leverage gaming action last Thursday in Seattle and / or Sunday in Houston.
Maybe Chapman will pitch a clear round for the American League All-Stars and it will be the start of a snowball return to what it was. Or maybe AL skipper Kevin Cash, who will lead the AL, will pass by giving his club’s biggest rival the opportunity to gain confidence. Chapman rocking horribly again is also very possible.
The Yankees hit mid-season with a 46-43 record that places them tied with Toronto for third in LA East, eight games behind Boston in first place and 6½ behind the Rays in second place. . They likely won’t overtake either of those clubs without Chapman returning to his best form in the second half, and they didn’t even try to throw in a quick fix last week.
The Yankees can’t be blamed for not pitching Chapman into save situations until he’s right. They can and should be blamed for leaving Chapman idle in the bullpen day in and day out. At this point, they might as well mend an injury, let him throw relievers for a week, then give him a couple of AAA rehab outings to work on his delivery in games.
Chapman won’t be right if he doesn’t pitch, and the Yankees won’t be right if Chapman isn’t right. The sand in the 2021 Yankees’ hourglass is spreading, and their handling of Chapman is one of the organization’s many problems.
Receive Yankees SMS: Eliminate the clutter of social media and text with beat editors and columnists. Plus, get the latest news, exclusive information and analysis every day. Register now.
Our journalism needs your support. Please register today for NJ.com.
Randy Miller can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com is Facebook. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.
[ad_2]
Source link