Aroldis Chapman

New York Yankee Player Profiles: Aroldis Chapman, what’s ahead for the closer?

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New York Yankees, Aroldis Chapman

The New York Yankees have a host of problems this season; they hope Aroldis Chapman, the Yankee closer, isn’t one of them. He started the season as sharp as ever. He had a 0.00 ERA from the beginning of the season until May 23rd, when he blew his first save against the White Sox. That’s 18 games in a row. Following that, there were a few blips but nothing of concern, but the last month has been very concerning. On June 23, he gave up 2 runs to the Royals; on June 30, he gave up 4 runs to the Angels while only recording one out. Then, on July 4th, he wasn’t celebrating Independence day when he gave up 3 runs to the rival New York Mets, this time without recording an out.

Chapman’s struggles were so bad Aaron Boone was afraid to use him to close games, instead, using Chad Green, Nestor Cortes Jr., Jonathan Loaisiga, and more recently Zack Britton. It wasn’t until July 20th that Boone gave him another chance. He got the save (17), but he gave up a home run. In his last two games against Philadelphia and Boston, he seems to have rebounded. Between the two games, he gave up a hit and walked two. Last night he was not available, and the Yankee pitchers Jonathan Loaisiga and Zack Britton gave up a five-run lead causing the Yankee loss. Could that be a preview of life without Chapman?

Pitching coach Matt Blake and the Yankees have to get Chapman right; they can’t continue to have a closer with an ERA over 4.00. He lost control over his put-out pitch, the blazing fastball, and he appears to have lost his confidence as well. In previous saves, he would stare down the final out hitter. In his last save, there was no stare; he just walked off the mound. Aroldis Chapman was never a Mariano Rivera, no one is, but he has been adequate. The Yankees need to get back to the closer that they had at the beginning of the season.  For those that don’t know how Chapman got to the Yankees continue to read; it’s a fascinating story.

Chapman was born Albertin Aroldis Chapman de la Cruz in Holguin province, Cuba, on February 28, 1988. Although he is called the “Cuban Flamethrower or Missle, he is actually of Jamaican descent. His grandparents emigrated to Cuba for a better education. As a child, he played ball with other kids in his neighborhood. At the age of 15, a friend invited him to join the local Hoguin baseball team.

Even at that young age, local coaches noticed that the young boy had the potential to be a pitcher. So in 2003, he switched from first base to the pitcher’s mound.  In 2006 he joined the Cuban National Series League playing for the Holguin Sabuesos. He compiled a 24-19 record as a starter in 327 innings. His ERA of 3.74 with 365 strikeouts. He did make eleven relief appearances.

Chapman wanted out of Cuban and tried to defect but failed. Being a significant star, he met with Castro in 2008. Castro gave him a conditional reprieve but suspended him from the remainder of the season and kept him off the summer Olympics national team. He did allow him to return in 2009 to the World Baseball Classics representing Cuba. Still determined to defect, when playing in Rotterdam, the Netherlands in the World Port Tournament, he did it. One morning he walked out the door of his hotel, not to be seen again until he took up residency in Andora in the Pyrenees.

While in Andora, he petitioned MLB for free agency, which was granted. In January of 2010, Chapman signed a six-year contract to play for the Cincinnati Reds. On August 31 of that year, he made his Major League debut striking out the side with just nine pitches. In 2011 he was solely a reliever and in 2012 named the team’s closer. In 2014 he was hit in the head by a comebacker and underwent surgery to fix a skull fracture above his left eye. A metal plate was inserted into his head to stabilize the fracture.

For the 2015 season, Chapman had the highest average pitching speed in baseball at 100 mph. His record was 4-4 with a tiny ERA of 1.63 and 33 saves on the season. After the season, the Reds traded Chapman to the New York Yankees for four Yankee prospects. Before spring training, the then-manager Joe Girardi named Chapman the new Yankee closer.

Aroldis Chapman becomes a New York Yankee

Chapman didn’t start well for the Yankees; he was suspended for the first 30 games of the season due to an off-season personal conduct policy violation related to domestic violence. Then, in July, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs, bringing Gleyber Torres, Adam Warren, and Billy McKinney to the Yankees. The Cubs were going to the postseason, and the Yankees weren’t. With the Cubs, he had his fastest recorded pitch at 105.1 mph. Then, in the last inning of the last game of the World Series, Chapman went into a game-winning 10th inning, and his first World Series win.

As a free agent, the New York Yankees wanted him back, and he signed a record for a reliever an $86 million contract. His four-seam fastball had the highest average speed of any MLB pitcher’s pitches in 2017, at 99.7 mph, but a reduction from 2015. In 2018 he had a 104.1 mph pitch. Chapman has been successful for the Yankees. His record is 14-6 over five years, with an ERA of 2.54. But no matter how successful, he has failed the Yankees at key times in the postseason. Most recently when Mike Brosseau homered off him, causing the Yankees to exit the 2020 postseason.

Chapman realizes that his four-seam fastball is losing some velocity and is adding a new old pitch to his arsenal. Last year Chapman recorded an average of 98.7 mph, the lowest average speed for his fastball. I say new old because he used the pitch many years ago when he was a starter in Cuba. Chapman realizes he is getting older, and that missile fastball isn’t quite as fast. That showed up big time at about the same time that MLB began to enforce the no sticky rule. One good sign is that his velocity seems to have returned with some fastballs reaching 103 mph. Now he just needs to find that command.

Like many Yankees players, Chapman is relatively private about his personal life. However, we do know he has one daughter, Ashanti Brianna, with Mendosa Santiestelas. In addition, he had a son named Atticus in 2014. Chapman turned 33 this February.

New York Yankees Recap: Yankees come alive in the eighth to win one from the Red Sox

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New York Yankees, Deivi Garcia, Estevan Florial

After losing the first two games of the four-game set against their rival Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees entered this afternoon’s matchup with a certain urgency to win the game to at least split the series with the Red Sox. The Yankees were 2-11 on the season against the Sox and 9 games back in the AL East. Jameson Taillon took the mound for the Yankees facing the ex-Yankees Nathan Eovaldi. It was a perfect weather day for a ball game at Fenway Park in Boston.

To start the game, DJ LeMahieu faced Eovaldi and ground out in the infield. Brett Gardner got a base hit to short, but Gardner runs so face he got the hit. Giancarlo Stanton struck out. Rougie Odor struck out for the final out of the half. Enrique Hernandez led off for the Red Sox and scored, hitting a long ball off the monster, the throw went into the dugout, and he advanced to home for the one-run lead. Jerran Duran popped out. Xander Bogaerts went down on strikes. Rafael Devers flew out, but the Red Sox took the lead in the game. Red Sox 1 Yankees 0.

Gleyber Torres led off the second by striking out. Greg Allen, who has had success off Eovaldi, struck out on three pitches. Chris Gittens flew out to right for a 1-2-3 inning for Eovaldi. At the bottom, JT Martinez lined down the left-field line to get a double leading off the inning. Alex Verdugo flew out. Kevin Plawecki hit one off the green monster for another double driving in Martinez. French Cordero walked. Michael Chavis struck out. With two on and two outs, Hernandez flew out to Florial in center to end the inning. Red Sox 2 Yankees 0.

The top of the third was led off by Estevan Florial, who ground to first, but a head-in slide got a hit for Florial. Rob Brantly singled, moving Florial to second. LeMahieu hit into a double play, but Florial advanced to third. Brett Gardner struck out, and the Yankees left their second running on base in the game. At the bottom, Duran led off and doubled as Odor booted the ball. Bogaerts ground out to Odor, but Duran went to third. Devers got a sac fly to center driving in Duran for Dever’s baseball leading 80 RBI’s. Martinez flew out to end the inning. Boston Red Sox 3 Yankees 0.

The fourth inning was led off by Giancarlo Staton, who struck out for the second time today. Odor popped back to the catcher for the second out. Torres struck out for Eovaldi’s seventh strikeout of the game. Alex Verdugo led off the bottom of the fourth by grounding out. Plawecki singled to left. With one on and one out, Cordero hit into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning. Red Sox 3 Yankees 0.

Greg Allen led off the fifth by flying out to deep center. Gittens popped out to second. Florial flew out to center for a very quick inning for Eovaldi. At the bottom, Chavis stuck out. Hernandez lined out to LeMahieu at third. Duran flew out to Allen, who made a great running catch. It was a quick inning for both pitchers. Red Sox 3 Yankees 0.

Rob Brantly led off the sixth inning by grounding out to second. LeMahieu doubled off the green monster. Gardner struck out on Eovaldi’s curveball. Stanton flew out to right as the Yankees left another runner on base. At the bottom, Bogaerts popped out to second. Devers popped out to left-field foul territory. Martinez singled, Verdugo popped out for the final out. Red Sox 3 Yankees 0.

Rougie Odor led off the seventh by grounding out. Torres flew out to right. Allen singled over the first baseman’s head. Gittens ground out to leave another Yankee on base. Plawecki led off the bottom and went down on strikes. Cordero walked. Cordero tried to steal second, but Brantly gunned him down. Chavis flew out to Gardner for another strong inning from Taillon. Red Sox 3 Yankees 0.

Estevan Florial led off the eighth inning and got a lead-off double. Brantly popped out to third. LeMahieu flew out to Duran in center. Gardner got an RBI single to easily drive in Florial the get the Yankees on the board. That hit knocked Eovaldi out of the game.  The Yankees are now 10-71, with runners in scoring position this season against the Red Sox. Stanton faced another ex-Yankee in reliever Adam Ottavino, and he got a ground-rule double as the ball bounced into the right-field fans, moving Gardner to third base. Tyler Wade came in to pin run for Stanton. Odor doubled off the green monster scoring two to tie up the game at 3. Torres singled, driving in Odor to give the Yankees the lead in the game for the first time. Torres stole second. Allen got plunked and went to first. As the lineup turned over, Gittens tapped in front of the plate for the final out, but the Yankees picked up four runs in the half. New York Yankees 4 Boston Red Sox 3.

Gittens who fell running to first had to be helped off the field. Tyler Wade replaced him at third as LeMahieu moved to first. The Yankees lost their DH, meaning a pitcher would have to hit.

At the bottom of the inning, with the Red Sox behind a run, Hernandez faced the new Yankee pitcher Jonathan Loaisgia returning from the Covid list and ground out. Duran hit back to Loaisiga for the second out. Bogaerts, after a tough at-bat, singled. Devers singled moving Bogaerts to third. With two outs and men on the corners, Martinez flew out to Allen in right, leaving the runners stranded. New York Yankees 4 Red Sox 3.

The top of the ninth saw Estevan Florial at the plate; he walked on four pitches. Rob Brantly hit into a force out fielder’s choice. DJ LeMahieu flew out to the right-center. Brantly took off and was caught for the double play for another Yankee running mistake. With last licks on the line for the Red Sox, Alex Verdugo took to the plate with Aroldis Chapman on the mound and ground out to second. Plawecki struck out. Hunter Renfroe pinch-hitting for Cordero walked. Christian Vazquez also pinch-hitting hit a ground-rule double to move Renfroe to third base.  With the tying run at third and the winning run at second, Hernandez struck out as the Yankees hung on for the win.

Jameson Taillon, the winning pitcher, the loser Adam Ottavino and the save went to Aroldis Chapman for his 18 save of the season.

 

New York Yankees: 3 Major takeaways from home run show over the Phillies

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New York Yankees, Estevan Florial

The New York Yankees entered the series with the Philadelphia Phillies last night with a rag-tag team with a higher positivity rate than any time in the season after winning a series against the Boston Red Sox. Even with their beleaguered team with several players on the IL, they were hoping to take their second series in a row. With decent pitching and multiple home runs, the Yankees won the game 6-4 for their third win in a row.

Yankee pitching improves

Right-hander Domingo German was on the mound for the New York Yankees. German could have been lights out, but also could have struggled mightily. He was 4-5 with an ERA of 4.72. In his last outing against the Red Sox, he lasted only 1 inning using 17 pitches before being removed. The Yankees had lost seven of his last ten starts. Last night was considerably better. He went four innings, giving up just two earned runs, but striking out five.

Luckily the Yankee bullpen came to the rescue. Luis Cessa, Lucas Luetge, and Chad Green combined for three scoreless innings. However, returning Zack Britton still showed some rust after not pitching in almost two months; he gave up a homer. Likewise, closer Aroldis Chapman, who has been pitching poorly of late, gave up a homer in the ninth inning, but it was no harm by entering with a three-run lead. Striking out 3 Phillies and allowing just the home run was an encouraging sign for the Yankees.

Yankee power explodes late in the game

A lack of hitting has dogged the New York Yankees all season long. However, last night that seemed to be far in the past as the players; some not from the regular lineup, exploded with four home runs in the game. Veteran Brett Gardner led off the barrage in the fifth inning with his homer off Phillies starter Aaron Nola. In the following inning, Gary Sanchez hit one of his own, knocking Nola out of the game. Then in the seventh slugger, Giancarlo Stanton hit his 16th homer of the season. But the Yankees weren’t done; Estevan Florial, a center field fill-in, slammed another home run in the eighth. Every Yankee got at least one hit in the game with the exception of Tyler Wade who went 0 for 4.

It should be noted that the powerful explosion overshadowed three facts. First, Greg Allen got another hit and scored twice. Second, Estevan Florial went 1 for 3 driving in two runs. Both of these players are fill-ins. Also, being short players, the Yankees had to use catcher Rob Brantly at first base. He, too, got a hit in the game. All, however, was not good; although the home run saved the Yankees, they went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position, another issue that has plagued the Yankees.

Yankee fans behaving badly

New York Yankee fans have been making news of late, not for their excitement for the Yankees, but their bad behavior at the Stadium in the Bronx. In the last game against the Red Sox fan threw a ball, hitting the back of Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo, halting the game for a time. That fan has since been banned from attending any Major League game for the rest of his life. On the same night, the wife of former Red Sox catcher and current assistant coach Jason Varitek reported that their 9-year-old daughter was spat upon when leaving the Stadium.

Last night was another night of bad behavior as a fan ran onto the field in the sixth inning, halting the game momentarily. A chase ensued when the fan was tackled and crushed to the ground. He was escorted out of the stadium by security guards and New York Police. New York Yankee management has strongly condemned these shenanigans, saying that there is no place for these actions at Yankee Stadium.

Notes: Tonight is the last game of the Phillies series; either team has not released starting pitchers for the game as of this writing.

 

New York Yankees Recap: 4 home runs power Yankees to win over the Phillies

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The New York Yankees entered the series with the Philadelphia Phillies tonight with a rag-tag team the had a higher positivity rate than any time in the season after winning a series against the Boston Red Sox. Even with their beleaguered team with several players on the IL, they were hoping to take their second series in a row. The Yankees won the game via the home run 6-4 for their third win in a row.

Jean Segura led off the first inning and walked against Domingo German. J.T. Realmuto ground out. Bryce Harper struck out. Former Yankee Andrew McCutchen struck out to end the half. At the bottom, Brett Gardner led off for the Yankees and struck out. Giancarlo Stanton went down looking. Rougie Odor struck out for a scoreless inning for both teams.

In the second, Rhys Hoskings, the Phillies’ home run leader, led off by hitting a homer to center field. Didi Gregorius recorded the first out with a fly out to center. Brad Miller walked. Ronald Toreyes struck out. Travis Jankowski struck out to end the inning, but the Phillies picked up a run. Gary Sanchez led off the Phillies at the bottom and flew out to right-center. Gleyber Torres flew out to the same place. Rob Brantly tapped back to the pitcher to end the inning. Phillies 1 Yankees 0.

Jean Segura led off the third by grounding out. JT Realmuto hit sharply to Tyler Wade at third for the second out. Bryce Harper singled to the center. McCutchen lined out directly to Wade at third to end the half. At the bottom, Greg Allen led off by getting a lead-off triple over the head of Harper. Estevan Florial sac flew for the tie of the game. Tyler Wade recorded the second out with a fly ball to McCutchen in left. Gardner flew out. New York Yankees 1 Phillies 1.

Hoskins led off the fourth by walking. Gregorius flew out for the first out. Miller flew out to shallow short. Toreyes hit a double over the head of Gardner, driving in a run for the Phillies.  Jankowski struck out, but the Phillies added another run. At the bottom, Stanton struck out. Odor got a bunt single for the Yankees. Sanchez hit the left-field wall so hard that he was limited to a single, but Odor went to third. Torres went down on strikes. Brantly, with two on and two outs, popped out to end the inning. Phillies 2 Yankees 1.

In the fifth inning, the Yankees picked up two runs, partly because of Brett Gardner’s home run to centerfield off of Nola. It would end up that the Yankees won this game via the long ball. Gary Sanchez hit a long ball in the sixth inning also off of Nola. In the seventh inning, Giancarlo Stanton hit a monster home run. New York Yankees 5 Philadelphia Phillies 2.

At the top of the eighth inning, the Phillies picked up a run off of Zack Britton. Britton gave up 3 hits in the inning. In the bottom of the frame, Greg Allen struck out. Estevan Florial, who walked in the sixth, had a solo shot to the short right-field porch to make it 6-3 New York Yankees. It was Florials first Major League home run. Tyler Wade gound out for the second out of the inning. Brett Gardner, with two outs, ground out to second to end the inning, but the Yankees picked up another run in the inning. New York Yankees 6 Phillies 3.

At the top of the ninth inning, the Yankees sent closer Aroldis Chapman to the mound to close it out for the Yankees with the three-run led. Chapman has been shakey, to say the least trying to close games for the Yankees recently. Bryce Harper struck out on a Chapman slider. Andrew McCutchen homer to the left-field stands as the Phillies tacked on another run as Chapman’s late-inning woes continued. Rhys Hoskins struck out swinging. Didi Gregorius, who was 0-4 on the night, also struck out against his old teammate. The Yankees held onto the 6-4 lead to take the first game of the Phillies series and their third win in a row.

The final score was the New York Yankees 6 and the Philadelphia Phillies 4. The winning pitcher was Luis Cessa, and the loser was Aaron Nola. The save went to Aroldis Chapman, his 17th of the season.

New York Yankees: Weekend preview and all you need to know about your Yankees

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yankees, gerrit cole

With a pivotal weekend matchup with the Boston Red Sox, here are some New York Yankees previews and notes to keep Yankee fans informed.

Yankees announce weekend pitchers

Yankee ace Gerrit Cole will face Nathan Eovaldi in Saturday evening’s game broadcast on the Fox Network. Cole is 9-4 with an ERA of 2.68 and an amazing 147 strikeouts. He is coming off a complete-game win against the Astros. Eovaldi is 9-5  with an ERA of 3.66. He has won both of his starts against the Yankees this season.

Sunday evening’s game broadcast on ESPN will feature Jamison Taillon against the Red Sox Michael Perez. Taillon is 4-4 with a 4.90 ERA and is the Yankees’ most undependable starter. Perez 7-5 with a .4.04 ERA.  Perez is coming off an 11-2 loss against the Phillies, giving up 3 runs in 3.2 innings of work.

Yankees lose six players to the Covid virus

The New York Yankees and the entire sports world got a harsh reminder that the coronavirus is not behind up. This week, the Yankees had to put six players on the covid list showing that they are not fully protected even though they may have been vaccinated. Aaron Judge, Gio Urshela, Nestor Cortes Jr., Jonathan Loaisiga, Wandy Peralta, and catcher Kyle Higashioka all went on the 10 day Covid list. The loss of these players makes a challenging turnaround for the Yankees even more challenging.

Montgomery gets no run support

Jordan Montgomery is a poor boy when it comes to getting run support in this starts. Montgomery lost another game last night, getting zero run support. Montgomery is now tied with 6 other Yankees throughout history for going the most games without any run support.

Domingo German scoreless in relief

After a few rocky starts, Domingo German was scheduled to start Thursday night’s game that ended up being postponed when several Yankees test positive for the coronavirus. Manager Boone decided on Jordan Montgomery to start last night’s game, but German got a chance to pitch. He came in in the 7th inning in relief of Montgomery. He pitched a scoreless inning giving up on hit and no walk, an encouraging sign for manager Boone.

Minor Leaguers make Major League debuts

The New York Yankees’ lack of players caused by the coronavirus allowed Yankee minor leaguers to make their Major League debuts. Outfield Trey Amburgey was called up to replace Aaron Judge in right field, where he played flawlessly but struck out in his first two at-bats. Hoy Jun Park also made his debut pinch-hitting. The Yankees also called up Chris Gittens to replace Luke Voit at first.

Michael King hopeful for return

Starter reliever Micheal King injured his middle finger while working with weights on July 5th and has been away from the team. He said he is feeling better now, throwing and catching. He is hoping to be reactive as early as this weekend, for the Yankees, that will be not too soon as they have lost three relievers to the coronavirus.

Luke Voit is back on the IL

Luke Voit, who has proven he can play through almost anything, must be crushed as he has gone o the IL for the third time this season, this time with a badly bruised knee impeding his running. Voit last season was the baseball’s home run leader, but this year hasn’t played long enough stretches to get his stroke and power back.

The next 11 days will be crucial

The New York Yankees are 9 games back in the AL East behind the Red Sox, Tampa Bay, and the Toronto Blue Jays. They are 5 games out of a second wild card slot. The Yankees must play well in the next 11 days if they have any chance of turning their season around. Unfortunately, they play mostly against teams that they have not been victorious over. They have six games against the Red Sox, three games against the Tampa Bay Rays, with two against the Phillies sandwiched in. So far, they have lost all seven games they have played against the Sox. With so many regular players on the Covid list, a challenging turnaround becomes even more difficult.

Aroldis Chapman still hasn’t got it figured out

The New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman and his new splitter went 18 games at the beginning of the season without allowing a run. Since then, his 0.00 ERA has risen to 4.55. Regardless of his splitter, his missile fastball is his put-away pitch, and he has lost control over it. In his last four games, he has given up 9 runs, allowing walks and home runs. In his last two games, his ERA is 13.50. He has pitched so badly that manager Aaron Boone has been afraid to use him, sitting him for ten games.

Last night in a no-pressure situation, Boone decided to send him out in the ninth with the Yankees behind by four runs. Chapman got out of the inning without giving up a run but obviously struggled. He walked one while taking 23 pitches to get out of the inning. Unfortunately, he did not gain any more trust from Aaron Boone. Boone also has fewer options with Nestor Cortes Jr., Wandy Peralta, and his best reliever Jonathan Loaisiga on the Covid list.

Stay with EmpireSportsMedia.com for all the latest Yankees news and updates. ESM’s Columnist William Parlee is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research. Follow him on Twitter @parleewilliam.

New York Yankees: 3 Major takeaways from another loss to the Boston Red Sox

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aroldis chapman, yankees

After a postponed game due to Covid concerns, the New York Yankees started their third series of the season against the Boston Red Sox. The hope going into the game was to win a game against their age-old rival finally. Unfortunately, it was not to be had. The Yankees now have lost every game played against the Boston team; they are 0-7. They haven’t been close games either; the Red Sox have outscored the Yankees by 3 or more runs in each of those games. The dismal pitcher was made even worse last night when they were shut out 4-0.

The Covid concerns we spoke about are six New York Yankee players going onto the Covid list that will keep them away from the team for at least 10 days. A challenging season just got even more challenging. The Yankees are 9 games behind the AL East-leading Boston Red Sox and 5 games back from the second wild card slot. In addition, the Yankees can’t win consistently against East division teams. They are 17-25 against their East rivals with only a slight advantage over the East cellar Baltimore Orioles.

Jordan Montgomery gets no run support again

Jordan Montgomery is the poor luck kid. Montgomery pitched a clean first inning, starting the game going 1-2-3. Then, in the second inning, with two on, Hunter Renfro ground out, but that brought Xander Bogaerts in for the first Red Sox run. Then, later in the inning, with Rafael Devers on second, Christain Arroyo hit a two-run homer to center field, and at that point, the game was over.

Giving up three runs is not a huge deal if your lineup is hitting and putting runs on the board, but that’s not the case with the Yankees. They didn’t get their first hit until much later in the game and only racked up 3 at the end of the game. After last night’s game, Montgomery is tied for most games in a row with no run support. After giving up the three runs, he pitched well into the sixth inning as he found control of his curveball and not allowing another hit.

Yankees continue not to hit

Last night the Yankees played without Aaron Judge, Luke Voit, and Gio Urshela in the lineup. Judge and Urshela out on the Covid list, and Voit out on the 10 days with a bruised knee. The Yankees only got 3 hits in the game. You could blame the lack of hitting on the patched-up lineup, but this is a problem that has plagued the Yankees all season long. Against the Boston pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez the Yankees only got two hits, two outs into the sixth inning. They managed one more hit of Houck in the eighth, and that was it. In the end, they went 0-3 with men in scoring position and leaving 6 Yankees on base.

Closer Aroldis Chapman is still not right

The New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman and his new splitter went 18 games at the beginning of the season without allowing a run. Since then, his 0.00 ERA has risen to 4.55. Regardless of his splitter, his missile fastball is his put-away pitch, and he has lost control over it. In his last four games, he has given up 9 runs, allowing walks and home runs. In his last two games, his ERA is 13.50. He has pitched so badly that manager Aaron Boone has been afraid to use him, sitting him for ten games.

Last night in a no-pressure situation, Boone decided to send him out in the ninth with the Yankees behind by four runs. Chapman got out of the inning without giving up a run but obviously struggled. He walked one while taking 23 pitches to get out of the inning. Unfortunately, he did not gain any more trust from Aaron Boone. Boone also has fewer options with Nestor Cortes Jr., Wandy Peralta, and his best reliever Jonathan Loaisiga on the Covid list.

Notes: Backup catcher Kyle Higashioka is also on the Covid 10 day. Rob Brantly is serving as the backup catcher until Higashioka returns. With so many Yankees missing from the game Trey Amburgey and Hoy Park both made the Major League debuts but were not impactful. First baseman Chris Gittens was also called up for the game.

New York Yankees: Takeaways from Yankees stunning loss to the Astros

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New York Yankees, Aroldis Chapman

The New York Yankees went into last night’s game at Minute Maid Park in Houston hoping for the sweep of the Astros after shutting them out in the first two games. Instead, what they got was a kick in the butt in the last inning of the series. They lost that game when their hated rival had a walk-off 8-7 win.

Yankees pitch well through eight

Following Jameson Taillon‘s best outing of the season yesterday, he again pitched well. He again had good control of his pitches, allowing only three hits over six innings of work. However, something that still dogs him is giving up home runs. Of the three hits allowed, two were for home runs—one to Maldonado in the third inning and one to Tucker in the sixth inning.

When Taillon’s night was done, Boone made an unusual move bringing in starter Domingo German. The Yankees entered the eighth inning with a tight 4-2 lead. With DJ LeMahieu and Aaron Judge on board, Gary Sanchez hit a three-run homer to left to give the Yankees a five-run lead. At the bottom with that lead, German was masterful in getting a 1-2-3 inning and protecting that lead.

With the New York Yankees almost assured with the sweep of the Astros, everything went south for the Yankees. The Houston Astros that only scored two runs in 24 innings of the series erupted for six runs for the walk-off win. German gave up two runs, and he was replaced by Chad Green still with the lead; he gave up four runs for the complete collapse of the Yankee closers.

Yankees missed multiple opportunities

After shutting out the Houston Astros in the first two games, the Yankees in the eighth inning of last night’s game looked to be on the threshold of a complete three-game sweep of the Astros. But that was not to be as the Astros would score six runs for a stunning walk-off win. But that didn’t have to happen. Something that has dogged the Yankees all season long is the lack of timely hitting. That lack of hitting was evident again last night as the Yankees missed several opportunities to score far more runs. The Yankees went 3 for 16 with runners in scoring position. Although the Yankees had plenty of traffic on the bases, they got 8 hits and a season-high 14 walks off of Astros pitching.

The New York Yankees have a closer problem

The New York Yankees have had plenty of problems this season with starting pitching and a lineup that most of the time fails to hit, causing the Yankees to lose games. But now, an even bigger problem may be emerging. The Yankees don’t have a dependable closer.

Aroldis Chapman, after a strong start to the season, not giving up a run in his first 18 games, he’s given up a whopping 14 earned runs over his last 5 2/3 innings for a 22.24 ERA. It’s not a question of his “Cuban Missile” power; it’s still there, but he no longer has consistent command over his blazing fastball, and the results have been disastrous. In his last four attempts to save, he has given up 9 runs while walking 8 and only recording 5 strikeouts.

In a huge implosion against the New York Mets, he gave up 3 runs in the ninth inning of the first game of a 7 inning doubleheader on July 4th. Then, on July 6th against the Seattle Mariners, he gave up a hit and walked two with an eleven-run lead. He got out of the inning, but it took 24 pitches to register 3 strikeouts. Since then, Boone has been afraid to send him out onto to mound in save situations.  The next possible closer is Zack Britton, but; he has been on the IL with a hamstring injury and is not ready to return. Next in line is Chad Green, who can be lights-out but isn’t consistent, as seen in last night’s game when he gave up three runs and took the loss. The Yankees have to find out what’s causing Chapman’s dilemma and get it fixed sooner than later.

Is Jonathan Loaisiga the New York Yankees’ closer of the future?

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New York Yankees, Jonathan Loaisiga

Last night the New York Yankees picked up their third straight win as they defeated the Seattle Mariners 5-4. It was one of those games that made you a little nervous if you were a fan of the Bronx Bombers.

The Yankees jumped out to an early lead of 5-1, but a three-run homerun cut the lead down to one with a few innings to go. At the beginning of the year, fans had little to nothing to worry about with the bullpen in a game like that. However, lately it seems that no lead is safe with the Yankees.

After a string of horrendous outings, the Yankees didn’t go to Aroldis Chapman last night. Instead, they went with an 8-9 combination of Jonathan Loaisiga and Chad Green. It was six up and six down with four punchouts for the two righties as the Yankees secured a big win. 

Despite all of the injuries and issues with the Yankees bullpen this year, Green and Loaisiga have been two gems. Both pitching to an ERA under 2.25 with WHIPs under one. If you can depend on anyone in the pen, it seems to be Loaisiga and Green.

If we look to the future, the Yankees have some decisions to make with the bullpen. Zack Britton has a team option at the end of this year which the team is likely to decline. They might even look to move him at the deadline if he can come back healthy.

Aroldis Chapman and Chad Green both have one more year under contract after this season. We all know the Yankees likely won’t bring back Chapman and Green could command a big premium. With that in mind, is Jonathan Loaisiga is the closer of the future?

The Next Great Yankees Closer?

When Loaisiga came up through the minors, he did so as a starting pitcher. The Yankees had envisioned Loaisiga as a guy who would come up and help with the rotation. However, he’s proving this year that he’s so much better out of the pen.

Loaisiga possesses nasty stuff with the ability to throw 100+ with movement and he has nice off-speed pitches to pair. Most great closers don’t come up through the system as relievers, but they do as starters. Even the great Mariano Rivera started out as a starter.

Loaisiga has developed multiple pitch options which makes him very dangerous on the mound as a reliever. The 26 year old has blossomed this year and I think he’s going to be a key piece of the bullpen moving forward. Loaisiga looks like he can turn into one of the best closers in the game with time.

Am I getting ahead of myself here a little? Of course I am, but what Yankee fan doesn’t think about the future of the ballclub. Loaisiga is under team control through the 2024 season. He’s got nasty stuff and he’s proving to be one of the more reliable arms in the bullpen.

While the closer role between the rest of this season and next likely belongs to either Green or Chapman, don’t be surprised to see Loaisiga get the role after 2022. With his stuff, he just might turn into the Yankees next great closer.

Sound Off: Do you think the Yankees should keep Loaisiga in the pen moving forward to be a future closer or should they try to put him back in the rotation eventually?

Yankees’ manager gives save chance to Chad Green, and the righty did not disappoint

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New York Yankees, Chad Green

The New York Yankees relied on long relief outings by Luis Cessa and Domingo German to outlast the Seattle Mariners 5-4 last night and earn their third straight victory. They are now 44-41 and remain hopeful that they can keep stringing wins together and make up some of the lost ground in the AL East and the Wild Card race.

German’s root canal changed the original pitching plans for the day, but he entered the game in the fifth inning and threw three innings out of the bullpen, allowing three runs that were unearned because of a Gio Urshela error.

All things told, German pitched roughly 12 hours after undergoing the procedure.

The Yankees’ ninth-inning situation

Perhaps the biggest takeaway for the Yankees, however, was that the Yankees’ skipper went to Chad Green to close out the one-run game, bypassing struggling closer Aroldis Chapman in the process.

Green worked the ninth frame and ended up getting his third save (the seventh of his career) with a 1-2-3 inning and two strikeouts.

“When anybody closes out the last three outs of the game, I think it just means more,” Green said to MLB.com. “Anybody who has been in that situation in the past realizes how hard it is. Those are three very difficult outs to get.”

It’s still unclear what the Yankees’ plans for Chapman are, but he remains the best bet to be the long-term closer despite a 16.88 ERA in his last seven games.

It should be noted that Chapman threw 24 pitches on Tuesday night and that might have factored in yesterday’s decision to bring Green in the ninth.

“I just felt like that’s what the game called for right there,” Boone said according to NJ Advance Media. “Obviously Greenie is throwing the ball incredibly well. And with the one-run game and Chappy coming off 20-some pitches (Tuesday) night, I want to make sure I get him in situations that I feel really good about. I just felt like Greenie was the right call.”

It remains a situation to monitor.

Who should be the closer of the New York Yankees?

New York Yankees: 3 Major takeaways from series win over the Mariners

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New York Yankees, Aaron Judge

The New York Yankees have to feel good after notching their third win in a row and taking the series from the Seattle Mariners with the win last night. After a day off on Monday, the Yankees enjoyed a laugher against the west coast team on Tuesday, winning 12-1. However, last night was a different story; hardly a laugher, the Yankees had to fight tooth and nail to get the one-run win. The final score was 5-4, but it took five Yankees pitchers to get the job done.

Who decided on Nick Nelson?

At the start of last night’s game, fans were left with more questions than answers. First, why couldn’t the game’s scheduled starter Domingo German start the game after having an early morning root canal? Then why Nick Nelson, was it analytics that said he would be the perfect starter for that game? The question about German became even more evident when he was brought in to pitch the fifth inning. When manager Aaron Boone was asked about the decision, he couldn’t come up with any sensible answer.

Regardless of the reason, Nick Nelson started the Yankees game and was a total mess, only going 2/3 of an inning, giving up a run, walking three, and hitting the second Mariner that faced him. All of this happened while trying to protect a three-run lead the Yankees achieved off of the Mariners starter Yusei Kikuchi. Nelson was replaced by Luis Cessa, who pitched 3.1 innings of one-hit scoreless ball. This was when Domingo German was brought into the game. Unfortunately, he proved that he still was not right. He gave up three earned runs in three innings of work even though he stuck out 5 Mariners.

New York Yankees attack first again

For the second night in a row, the Yankees attacked first, lighting up Yusei Kikuchi for three runs in the first inning. The Yankees got three runs in the first inning of Tuesday night’s game. Aaron Judge walked on four pitches. Gary Sanchez walked. Giancarlo Stanton flew out to right field. Luke Voit doubled driving in Judge from second. Gleyber Torres got a three-run single driving in Sanchez and Voit. Gio Urshela got a double when the ball bounced into the stands at left. Brett Gardner struck out for the final out, but the Yankees picked up the early three-run lead.

At the top of the second, Tim Locastro, with his amazing speed, stretched out single into a double past short. LeMahieu flew out to center, moving Locastro to third. Then, Aaron Judge hit a two-run (429′) homer into the left-field stands. The game could have ended there because the Yankees couldn’t hit the ball for the rest of the game in any meaningful way, allowing the Mariners to crawl back to within one run. DJ LeMahieu, Gary Sanchez, and Brett Gardner all went 0-4 on the night.

Aroldis Chapman Vs. Chad Green

In a puzzling mystery, the New York Yankees have lost their closer. All of the sudden, Aroldis Chapman has become totally ineffective. In his first 18 games of the season and with a rediscovered splitter, Chapman had an ERA of 0.00, not allowing a single run. Today that ERA stands at 4.55. For his last nine games, it’s at 22.00. So at the bottom of the ninth in Tuesday night’s game, Boone thought he would try out Chapman in a low-intensity situation with an eleven-run lead.

Chapman bombed again. He didn’t give up a run, but it wasn’t for the lack of trying. Ty France singled on his first pitch. Jake Fraley struck out on a 95mph fastball. France went to second on a Chapman wild pitch. Luis Torrens walked. Jake Bauers struck out. With last licks on the line, Dylan Moore, with two on and two outs, walked, loading the bases. Shed Long Jr. followed by striking out to end the game. That was not the soap opera the Yankees wanted to see.

Last night in a high leverage situation in the ninth, the Yankees had to protect a one-run lead. Boone choose to sit closer Chapman in favor of Chad Green. Green did swift work in the inning, striking out two Mariners. No one will know who’s decision that was because the analytics would have said to send Chapman out. Nevertheless, going with Green, who has had an excellent season, was the right decision.