Make it official: We are done defending Clay Holmes and his inability to consistently close games for the New York Yankees.
Tuesday’s 7-4 loss at Texas marked a new low for Holmes and his streaky sinker. Entering the 9th inning with a 4-3 lead, Holmes got one out before completely falling apart. It culminated with Wyatt Langford’s walk-off grand slam and the Rangers winning the game, and Holmes leaving with nothing but his MLB-worst 11th blown save.
And unlike his usual mealy-mouthed postgame platitudes, manager Aaron Boone actually seemed serious this time. Instead of defending Holmes, Boone lightly acknowledged it may be time for a change.
“We’ll talk through and do what we think is the best thing,” Boone said. “He’s really important to us down there [in the bullpen]. We need his excellence to be part of the group down there. So this is a tough one.”
The rough outing ballooned Holmes’ ERA from 2.67 to 3.27. He had a 0.00 ERA headed into what became his first blown save on May 20, and has posted a 5.14 ERA since. This isn’t just something to blame on his .333 BABIP, something is clearly not right with Holmes.
And Holmes knows it too. He acknowledged after the game he didn’t have a feel for his sinker, and losing that along with his sneaky slider was the death knell.
Worst of all, the loss knocked New York out of first place. The Yankees now sit a half-game behind rival Baltimore.
Surprise, ladies and gentlemen. Clay Holmes is now just your garden variety MLB closer. He mostly relies on two pitches, his sinker and slider, and it’s rare to see both at their best on any given night. As is common with closers, and particularly for Holmes since he also throws a sweeper, this leads to lots of walks. His 3.11 BB/9 aren’t awful, but his general inconsistency magnifies it.
So where does that leave the Yankees? If they truly don’t trust Clay Holmes in the closer’s role anymore, who’s their go-to guy late in close games? Does Luke Weaver get a fair shot after being a stud setup man all year long? Luis Gil and his blazing fastball could work, but walks could be an even greater issue with him.
Regardless of what Boone decides, he clearly knows it’s time to get serious. There’s less than a month left in a regular season with no clear favorite to win the World Series. The hottest teams in October need to establish themselves quickly, from the top of the lineup all the way down to who throws the last pitch.
Surely, the New York Yankees are not so blind that they’ll keep trotting Holmes out in the ninth inning until he gets it together. That’s a terrible idea not just for Holmes, but any struggling closer on any team. Expecting a full 180 overnight is unrealistic.
Because as we’ve said before, Clay Holmes is now just your average ninth inning arm. Hot or cold. Lots of walks or lots of outs, be they of the strike or ground variety.
In the playoffs, average won’t do. Only consistent dominance, effectiveness, whatever we want to call it. Clay Holmes, good as he is when he’s at his best, lost his long ago.
The postseason calls for the best teams to put out their best players in the biggest moments. Unfortunately for Holmes and the Yankees, New York now must spend the season’s final weeks learning who that is.
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