Who is the Yankees' closer? Right now, it's anyone's guess
Lou Trivino of the Yankees reacts after the final out of a game against the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on Sunday. Credit: Getty Images/Jim McIsaac
The Yankees started the season with an established closer in Aroldis Chapman. When he faltered, they discovered an All-Star closer in Clay Holmes.
But Holmes is on the 15-day injured list with a back strain, and he was struggling before he got hurt. So manager Aaron Boone has employed a different strategy in which next-man-up isn’t just a saying, but a way of life.
In the three-game winning streak that began Sunday against Toronto and continued through a two-game sweep of the Mets, Boone used three different relievers to close out games.
On Sunday, Lou Trivino pitched the final 2 1/3 innings to “save” his own win in a 4-2 victory over Toronto.
On Monday, Jonathan Loaisiga threw the final 1 1/3 innings to become the 11th Yankee to record a save this season in a 4-2 victory over the Mets.
On Tuesday, Wandy Peralta – who had been 1-for-6 in save opportunities this season – got the final out with the bases loaded in another 4-2 Subway Series victory.
Chapman stayed seated in the bullpen during all three tight games. The Yankees say they will use Chapman in a big spot eventually, but they didn’t over those three games.
Who will Boone turn to if the Yankees have a late lead beginning on Thursday night in Oakland? Your guess is as good as his.
“I think there are a lot of good things happening down with our bullpen with the way a handful of those guys are throwing,” Boone said. “That’s something we need to sort out and kind of declare, and hopefully it is something that will declare itself here, and then over the next several weeks where guys can start to grab on to some roles and we can get a little more defined as we unfold over the next few weeks.”
Said general manager Brian Cashman: “I think the bullpen has a lot of different looks and a lot of different high-caliber players. I think the only difficult part, which will sort itself out over time, is who’s used where and when. I think the only way you learn that is battle-tested in-game presentations and who responds to what. I think that’s the only unknown right now. When everyone is healthy, who gets what lane and when?”
The Yankees hope Holmes will be able to return during the three-city road trip that begins on Thursday. They hope righthander Scott Effross will recover quickly from the shoulder stiffness that sent him to the IL on Monday.
Chapman, Holmes, Effross, Peralta and Loaisiga all have at least one save this season. The other six who have earned at least one for the Yankees in 2022 are Ryan Weber, Manny Banuelos, Michael King, Chad Green, Lucas Luetge and Clarke Schmidt. Only Luetge and Schmidt are on the current roster.
Rookie Ron Marinaccio, who has a stellar 1.72 ERA in 27 outings, has yet to notch a save, but he could be a closing candidate, too.
Schmidt was the winning pitcher on Tuesday with three scoreless innings in relief of Frankie Montas. With a chance to nail it down, Schmidt got the first two outs in the top of the ninth before the Mets loaded the bases on a pair of walks and an infield hit.
With switch-hitter Francisco Lindor due, Boone called on the lefthander Peralta – not because he loved the matchup, but because he thought Schmidt was getting gassed after throwing 60 pitches.
“It’s not the greatest matchup there, flipping [Lindor] around,” Boone said. “Just really kind of up against it there.”
Peralta got ahead of Lindor 0-and-2 before Lindor lined what would have been a game-tying double just foul down the leftfield line. Eventually, Lindor lofted a harmless fly ball to center to end the game.
“He was finally able to outlast him there,” Boone said. “Just a great job of execution from strike one to the last pitch.”
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
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