The Yankees put together their 2016 roster in the model of the Royals of the past few years–hoping that a dominant bullpen would be able to mask their other flaws and win close games all year. It may not have worked all year, but that’s certainly what happened tonight.
The Indians fell in the 11th inning, 7-6, to the Yankees today after being silenced by 2 1/3 innings from the flamethrowing Aroldis Chapman, who along with Andrew Miller shut down the Indians in the late innings of the game while Cleveland threw the likes of Dan Otero and Tommy Hunter (explain to me again why Joba Chamberlain was DFAed?), and it eventually caught up to the Indians.
The Indians hit well off of CC Sabathia, but the same was surprisingly true of the Yankees and Danny Salazar, who looked more like last year’s version of himself than the dominant pitcher we’ve come to expect this year, allowing a season-high six runs.
It was back-and-forth for a while there in the middle innings, with the two teams exchanging the lead several times, but in the end, the Yankees’ dominant bullpen held off Cleveland’s offense in a way the Indians’ bullpen simply couldn’t. They have one more chance to even the series and avenge this extra-inning loss, tomorrow at 1.
Corey Kluber validated his selection to the All-Star game by pitching like an All-Star; Salazar rewarded his selection with…this, probably surrendering his chances of starting the game. And once again, the bullpen is this team’s Achilles heel and greatest need (only need, unless you think that Yan Gomes is done for).
Questions from today’s game:
1.) Why go with Otero in the 6th instead of a lefty, albeit a not so acclaimed one in TJ House?
2.) Why is Yan Gomes, a guy not hitting my weight at 175 pounds, not bunting after a leadoff double in the 8th inning of a tie game?
3.) Why haven’t we added a better arm to the bullpen yet, preferably a lefty, so we don’t have to keep trucking Tommy Hunter out there (at least McAllister is on the DL)?
4.) Why do I hate Didi Gregorius so much?
5.) Why can’t our corner outfielders play a ball off the wall properly, in their own stadium to boot?
I’ll overlook Salazar walking ARod in the 6th before getting yanked because I don’t want to harp too badly on a team that is 17 games over .500, but I really hate the Yankees and losing this game really sticks in my craw.