Yankees struggling with RISP, but their pitchers have been clutch in that situation
Jonathan Loaisiga of the Yankees pitches against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium on Friday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
CINCINNATI – Failing with runners in scoring position is an easy topic to delve into because it’s right there in the boxscore.
For the Yankees, after Monday’s 6-1 loss to the Reds, it was impossible to ignore:
“Team RISP: 0-for-12.”
But what about the other side of that stat? Remember, baseball isn’t golf; the ball isn’t set up on a tee. Someone on the mound is trying to make his nastiest pitches to get you out with runners in scoring position.
Why doesn’t the boxscore have a stat about how pitchers fare with runners in scoring position?
If it did, here’s how some key Yankees arms would line up in that situation this season in terms of batting average against with RISP (going into Tuesday):
Jonathan Loaisiga: .125
Ian Hamilton: .143
Clarke Schmidt: .143
Max Fried: .155
Fernando Cruz: .167
Carlos Rodon: .175
Luke Weaver: .222
Devin Williams: .222
Tim Hill: .250
Mark Leiter Jr.: .279
Will Warren: .302
Pretty good, right? But clutch hitting is often talked about – or in the Yankees’ case lately, lamented – but clutch pitching is rarely celebrated.
On Monday, the Reds’ clutch pitching included righthander Scott Barlow, who was called in by manager Terry Francona to face Aaron Judge with the Reds up 4-1 and two on and one out in the fifth inning.
Judge had already homered to left and hit a 398-foot bomb to the warning track in center. Barlow got him on a first-pitch short fly to center and then struck out Giancarlo Stanton looking at a 1-and-2 curveball.
There was much gnashing of teeth in Yankeeland for Judge and Stanton not getting it done. Very little thought of Barlow getting his job done against two of the most dangerous hitters in baseball on just five pitches.
"That team especially, that they’re going to get on base for sure," Barlow told MLB.com after the game. "But limiting damage is huge, and not trying to create more by nibbling around the zone and just always being on attack mode. You’re going to give yourself the best opportunity by staying on the attack."
Much was said in the Yankees’ postgame clubhouse about their futility with runners in scoring position. Little was said in terms of credit to the opposing pitcher.
“A couple opportunities with guys on base and I pop one up, fly out there,” said Judge, who is batting .375 with a 1.116 OPS and three home runs with RISP. “I’ve got to get the job done there. But I think it's just going back to guys having intent, going up there with a plan and trying to execute. Not always going to drive the guy in or move him over or do that, but as long as we continue to have good at-bats and try to guys over and knock ’em in, I like our chances.”
The Yankees had lost eight of their last 12 going into Tuesday. Over that span, they were hitting .167 with an MLB-worst .391 OPS with RISP, and that includes games in which they scored seven and nine runs.
“We didn't come up with a big hit,” Boone said after Monday’s game. “I mean, simple as that . . . There were a couple games in there where I felt like we were swinging the bat OK. We just -- they were keeping us in the ballpark and we weren't delivering in those situations. Hopefully, the worm turns a little bit on that and we do a better job. I didn’t think our at-bats were the best in those spots (Monday). But I feel like overall the last four or five days, the at-bats have been getting better. But we’ve got to finish off some innings here when we have opportunities.”
Stroman hit hard. Marcus Stroman (knee) allowed 10 hits and five runs in 3 2/3 innings against Erie in his third rehab start for Double-A Somerset. Stroman, who has been out since April 12, walked two and struck out one. The Yankees have a rotation opening, but it is not clear that Stroman will be deemed ready to fill it. Allan Winans, who was charged with four runs in 4 1/3 inning against the Reds on Monday, is still on the roster.
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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