ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Clay Holmes won’t be the automatic choice as the closer for the New York Yankees in the short term after giving up a game-ending grand slam to the Texas Rangers for his major league-high 11th blown save this season.
Manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday the club will consider several options, Holmes included, while continuing to support the two-time All-Star coming off a rough outing.
Rookie Wyatt Langford’s grand slam followed a single by Carson Kelly and consecutive walks to Josh Smith and Marcus Semien, giving the Rangers a 7-4 victory on Tuesday night.
“In the short term, we’ll kind of just get a little creative with it,” Boone said before the series finale against the Rangers. “I feel like he’s throwing the ball really well in a lot of ways. Last night it was certainly a little off and they got to him. But the reality is he’s really not that far off from being the dominant guy we know he can be.”
Langford fouled off a full-count slider to stay alive before hitting a hanging 85.8 mph slider 407 down the left-field line.
Holmes’ blown saves — which have come in 40 chances — are the most for the Yankees since Dave Righetti had 13 in 1987, tying the team record set by Goose Gossage in 1983.
Boone stuck with Holmes after the right-hander’s previous blown save Aug. 18 against Detroit in Major League Baseball’s Little League Classic. Holmes had five scoreless outings with three saves before the loss to the Rangers.
“At this point in the season, where the race is and playoffs, it’s about winning,” Holmes said. “I think everybody’s on that same page. Whatever it takes for us to go out and win. Roles and definitions at this point, they are what they are.”
The closer-by-committee decision from Boone came with the Yankees in a tight race with Baltimore for the best record in the American League and the AL East lead. The Orioles were a half-game ahead to start the day.
Right-hander Jake Cousins has a save and a 2.73 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 30 innings. Luke Weaver, another right-hander, is second to Holmes in appearances with 54 and has finished seven games.
Left-hander Tim Hill is 3-0 with a 2.34 ERA in 27 relief outings but has just 13 strikeouts in 34 2/3 innings. Tommy Kahnle, a 35-year-old righty, has a career-best 2.00 ERA in 42 appearances.
“Trust a lot of guys,” Boone said. “Just how it matches up is kind of how we’ll go. And that’s how we’ll go into every night. I feel like there’s a lot of guys down there throwing the ball well and capable.”
Rookie Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt, starters both coming off the IL, could be developed into closing options.
“Never say never,” Boone said. “The reality is probably someone’s going to go to the ’pen from the starting rotation at some point, and I wouldn’t rule out necessarily anyone.”
Holmes spent time in Boone’s office before the game.
“Just kind of checking in and making sure, kind of giving him my thoughts on certainly the short-term look at things,” Boone said. “But also just making sure he’s good and seeing where he’s at. The thing about Clay is, he’s such a solid person and has such a good foundation. It’s why I think he handles this role so well, the ups and downs that inevitably go with it, the pressures that go with it.”
Holmes is 2-5 with a 3.27 ERA with 19 walks and 60 strikeouts in 55 innings. The 31-year-old with 73 career saves has had trouble putting away batters with two strikes.
“I think just with the noise around it of late and having some struggles, but again I think it’s important to differentiate last night compared to what I would call the ball not bouncing his way in a lot of these games where it hasn’t been far off at all,” Boone said. “Just with losing the strike zone a little bit last night, not probably getting his sinker to where he wanted last night at times, and just felt like this was the right thing to do going into today.”
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