Winning games by one run is not unusual in Major League Baseball, especially during the postseason when pitchers elevate their performance, making it more challenging for opposing teams to generate offense. On Sunday, the Yankees experienced a taste of what the playoffs might look like, holding a slim 1-0 lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning. Both pitchers were phenomenal, with Marcus Stroman and Tarik Skubal delivering excellent performances in their respective outings.
The Yankees Need to Make a Clay Holmes Decision
However, all it took was one bad day from closer Clay Holmes to spoil the party. Needing just three outs, Holmes allowed a run, ultimately providing Detroit with the momentum they needed to capitalize in extra innings.
Holmes recorded his 10th blown save of the season, which leads the MLB. The 31-year-old has solid underlying metrics, maintaining a 2.88 ERA and a career-high 26 saves over 50 innings.
The Sinker’s Struggles
For the most part, there’s no reason Holmes should be performing at this level, aside from his diminishing sinker results. His sinker, normally considered his best pitch, is allowing a .348 batting average this season with a .470 slugging rate. As long as his fastball remains problematic, the Yankees are going to run into trouble asking him to stifle opposing batters.
Aaron Boone’s Confidence in Holmes
Aaron Boone remains confident in Holmes, but he must be considering alternatives, especially with reinforcements on the way over the next few weeks.
“Yeah. Look, we’ll see as we go. We have a lot of really good options. Clay has had some tough breaks back there that’s led to [10 blown saves] … The reality is he’s throwing the ball really well. That said, we’ve got a lot of guys that are throwing the ball well in certain situations. Right now, Clay is the guy.”
The Impact of Jazz’s Absence
The loss of Jazz has been difficult for the Bombers to swallow. In his place, Oswald Peraza and Oswaldo Cabrera have received the majority of opportunities.
Peraza was called up from Triple-A to help offset Jazz’s loss, but he is a fraction of the player. The 24-year-old prospect was struggling in the minors this season, hitting .244/.351/.382, including a 94 WRC+. Peraza was considered a below-average offensive player in Triple-A, but he does have Gold Glove potential defensively. The Yankees cannot sustain more offensive liabilities.
Oswaldo Cabrera’s Performance
Cabrera should be playing every day since the 25-year-old has been red hot over the last two months. Since June 15, Cabrera is hitting .287/.344/.437, including three homers, 12 RBIs, and a 121 wRC+. There’s no reason he shouldn’t be featured at the hot corner every day over Peraza.
Chisholm is optimistic he can return after the 10-day injured list, but the Yankees will approach his rehab with extreme caution. They need him to be healthy for the playoffs, and rushing him back is not an ideal strategy.
The 26-year-old has been excellent with the Yankees over 14 games, hitting .316/.361/.702, including seven homers and 11 RBIs. They need his offense when it matters most, and risking further injury would be malpractice at this point.
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Looking Ahead to Chisholm’s Return
The expectation is that Chisholm will return in September, giving him a few weeks to continue resting and rehabilitating so he’s ready to go when the playoffs roll around in October.