Holmes Blows Save by Coughing Up Grand Slam. Texas 7 NY 4

September 4, 2024 paperbacklou 2024 0
Anthony Volpe with a Clutch 2-out, 2-RBI single in the 8th after working a 3-2 count.

Clay Holmes really did it this time — not only coughing up a 4-3 lead to blow the save but allowing a Grand Slam walkoff, in Texas on a Tuesday night.

Holmes got the first out of the 9th, but then it was single, walk, walk, Grand Slam by rookie Wyatt Langford. Texas 7 NY 4 final score.

“This is a tough one. You know usually you say ‘That’s baseball, Suzyn’ but this is a tough one,” said Suzyn Waldman herself in the post game on the radio to Justin Shackil after she had just interviewed Aaron Boone.

In that interview, Waldman revealed that for the first time Boone was non-committal if Holmes would remain the closer.

“I’m not going to answer that right now when we’re raw and emotional,” said Boone afterwards after being asked if he needed to go in another direction for a closer. “We’ll talk through it and do what we think is the best thing.”

“Lost the delivery there,” said Holmes. “Lost the feel for the sinker, the spin — was just leaving it up; I think I was just getting a little too quick, and I think the command went with that. I tried to find the strike zone with a slider and left it up.”

It was a brutal loss in multiple ways as NY drops to 80-59 and out of 1st place; they are now .5 behind Baltimore. Texas improves to 66-73.

1. Rodon Brilliant

The Yanks wasted a Brilliant start by Carlos Rodon, who absolutely mowed down the Rangers for 6 innings of 1 hit ball, striking out 11.

Rodon made one mistake — a 4-seam fastball that saw too much of the plate and was knocked into the left field seats by Josh Jung leading off the 4th, giving Texas a 1-0 lead.

A pissed Rodon struck out the next 3 guys, and retired the next 8 in a row until hitting Jung with a pitch his next time up — then struck out his last batter of the game to end the 6th.

Rodon’s line: 6 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 11 K’s, 2 walks. He was in line for the win as NY took the lead in the top of the 7th.

2. Heaney’s Slider Was Sliding

Meanwhile, the Yanks were up against old friend Andrew Heaney, who entered with a 4-13 3.95 record. That ERA is important — it wasn’t bad and Yankee fans know that when Heaney’s slider is sliding, he can shut you down.

And on this night, Heaney’s slider was sliding. And his off speed was off speeding, and his cutter was cutting, and his curveball was curving. His off speed pitches made his 91-MPH four-seam fastball seem faster. Heaney used his variety of pitches to stifle the Yanks through 6 shutout innings.

3. Chisholm & Volpe Engineer Runs vs LeClerc in 7th

Heaney was relieved by Jose Leclerc to start the top of the 7th and the Yankees pounced. Jazz Chisholm Jr. led off with a single, and next batter Anthony Volpe singled too. The two then executed a double steal — but ump ruled a balk on the pitcher so they didn’t get credit — but in any case were on 2nd and 3rd with nobody out — NY down 1-0.

Jose Trevino grounded out scoring Chisholm to tie the game, then Alex Verdugo singled off new reliever Andrew Chafin to give NY a 2-1 lead.

4. Volpe Clutch Hit Makes It 4-1 NY in 8th

The Yanks got insurance runs in the top of the 8th — Gleyber Torres led off the inning with a walk, and after Juan Soto hit a fielder’s choice grounder, Aaron Judge singled off new reliever Grant Anderson. Giancarlo Stanton struck out, but Jazz Chisholm Jr. got on with an infield single.

With 2 outs, bases loaded, Anthony Volpe worked an 8-pitch at bat, fouling off two 3-2 pitches before singling up the middle for a 4-1 Yankee lead. CLUTCH.

5. LeMahieu Drops Throw — Causes 2 Runs in 8th

Tommy Kahnle pitched a shutout 7th, and got a grounder to Gleyber at 2nd to start the 8th but inexplicably DJ LeMahieu was playing 1st (instead of Anthony Rizzo) and even more inexplicably, LeMahieu dropped the throw from Gleyber. Rizzo would come in as a pinch hitter in the top of the 9th which left Yankee fans wondering why Boone didn’t bring him in for defense an inning earlier.

Jake Cousins relieved Kahnle, and allowed a single but then struck out Wyatt Langford. Josh Jung then hit a sharp grounder to 2nd that went ‘just under’ Gleyber’s glove for an RBI single and it was a 4-2 game. It was ‘this close’ to being an inning-ending double play.

A walk by Cousins loaded the bases with 1 out — bringing in Tim Hill.

Hill allowed a sac fly to Nathaniel Lowe to make it a 4-3 game before getting the final out.

6. Holmes Blows the Save

And then to the 9th and the Clay Holmes Rollercoaster Ride. Groundout, walk, walk, Grand Slam homerun by Langford for the old ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401570548

 

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