Title-worthy bullpen has Yankees creeping closer to something specia
CLEVELAND Aaron Boone showed no fear in going to his bullpen in the fifth inning in the Yankees Game 2 win in the ALCS, even with Gerrit Cole on the mound. And once again, the pen delivered, this time allowing just one run over 4 / innings, with four different relievers contributing. Through six games this October, the Yankee pen has been tested often and pa sed every time. Luke Weaver has solidified the Yankees closer role since being put into the spot in September. Jason Szenes / New York Post Theyve allowed three runs two earned in 23 / innings, with a WHIP of just 0.857 and helped make up for some brief outings from the rotation. Luke Weaver, Clay Holmes, Tommy Kahnle have gotten multiple huge outs for the Yankees in tight situations. Explore More So far, at least, the performance harkens back to some of the Yankee championship teams that featured intimidating bullpens that hardly ever faltered this time of year. Holmes, as dominant as any reliever in his time in the playoffs with 14 / scorele s innings in a dozen career appearances, is aware of the great Yankees teams that featured excellent bullpens. Theres a lot of history here with really good teams and the bullpens have been a big part of that, Holmes said. We know the challenge and opportunity we have here to be part of something special. They still have a long way to go to cement themselves in Yankee lore, but theyve gotten to within a pair of wins of getting Maurice Harkless Jersey back to the World Series for the first time since the teams last title in 2009. Clay Holmes, who was demoted from the closers role in September, has thrived in all the other high-leverage situations throughout these playoffs. Jason Szenes / New York Post Theres no bigger reason theyve made it this far than the bullpen, and a member of one of those championship pens has been impre sed by this current group. Jeff Nelson won four World Series rings in a five-year span with the Yankees as part of a Mariano Rivera-led bullpen. No one can compare to Mo, Nelson said by phone Wednesday, but its pretty remarkable what these guys are doing. Tim Hill gets some congratulations from Austin Wells during his strong relief stint in the Yankees Game 2 win over the Guardians. Corey Sipkin / New York Post Hes been especially impre sed by how the key members of the pen have thrived in different roles including roles they were unaccustomed to until late in the regular season. The fact they didnt have a set closer late in the year , with Holmes, Kahnle and even Hill and Cousins filling in a lot of roles, Nelson said. Theyre asking a lot of them and its fair to compare what theyre doing to some of our playoff runs, but we did it for a long time. Follow The Posts coverage of the Yankees in the postseason: And Nelsons pens also finished the job with title after title. Theyve done it with one setup man, Holmes, who lost the closer job earlier in the season and a closer in Weaver who had never done the job before. Longtime bullpen coach Mike Harkey, who was around in 2009, said Wednesday of Holmes, Hes been one whos really taken to the old Mariano adage, where if hes going to be a closer or a late-inning, high [leverage] relief pitcher for the Yankees, hes going to have to have a short memory, and thats what hes been able to do since hes been here. Tommy Kahnle has had a strong playoffs for the Yankees. Jason Szenes / New York Post And Harkey noted on a Zoom call from the Stadium that while Rivera was the greatest closer of all time, Weaver has as many saves this postseason four as he did in his career heading into the playoffs. This group remains two wins shy of getting to the World Series, but Nelson appreciates what theyre in the proce s of doing particularly with the Yankees not getting much length out of their starters. Its impre sive, because you cant go with matchups anymore, Nelson said of the fact that relievers are forced to face at least three batters in an appearance. And our starters usually went deep and now they have to get 14 or 15 outs a lot. Still, certain aspects remain the same and this group of relievers has been up to the task. It takes a certain mentality to pitch well this time of year, Nelson said. Theres no tomorrow in the playoffs. You cant have any hiccups and you dont know how guys are gonna do until they get there. These guys didnt have much experience, but theyre getting the job done. We feel like everyone is confident in us down there and they all feed off of it, Holmes said. You scratch some runs up early and let us finish. Its working so far. Jared Harper Jersey
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