CLEVELAND — The Yankees trotted out their Bizarro Bullpen in a heartbreaking loss.
Seldom-used Tim Hill and Tim Mayza got big outs with runners on base.
Workhorses Luke Weaver and Clay Holmes gave up big home runs with runners on base.
And the Yankees went from one strike away from celebrating a comeback win to the shock of a 7-5 walk-off loss Thursday to the Guardians in the 10th inning of Game 3 of the ALCS.
Who would’ve expected that outcome based on how the first six playoff games of bullpen dominance played out?
“We’re supposed to go out there and do our job … to shut things down,” Holmes said. “Our expectation out there is to put up zeros every time. Weren’t able to do it, but I still believe good things [in Game 4].”
The Yankees’ bullpen allowed three runs (two earned) in 23 ¹/₃ innings, with a 0.857 WHIP, and picked up the slack for the rotation during a 5-1 start to the playoffs.
Near perfection is too much to expect at this time of year, however.
“It’s baseball. Stuff like that happens,” Aaron Judge said. “You don’t like to see it in that situation, but these guys have been so good for us all season long. Especially in the postseason, these guys have been lights out.”
Trailing 2-1 when starter Clarke Schmidt exited, the Yankees didn’t try to fill the final 13 outs by following the Holmes-to-Tommy Kahnle-to-Weaver recipe that manager Aaron Boone relies upon.
Instead, Hill stranded a runner on second base to end the fifth, Mayza stranded runners on the corners to end the sixth and Kahnle stranded runners on first and second to end the seventh and keep the deficit at 3-1.
Mayza surrendered a RBI single to the first batter he faced after Ian Hamilton left the game due to injury.
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The Yankees seemed to be in a great spot after back-to-back home runs by Judge and Giancarlo Stanton claimed a 4-3 lead — and they were until Weaver’s first blown save since assuming the closer’s role in early September.
Lane Thomas doubled off the top of the wall after working out of an 0-2 count with two outs in the ninth. Johnsky Noel followed with a pinch-hit, game-tying, two-run home run.
“One pitch away, honestly,” Weaver said. “Really felt like I let the team down there, myself down.”
Weaver began his first career trip through the playoffs with six straight scoreless innings before he allowed a home run in Game 2. Perhaps it was a sign of invincibility waning.
“Just threw the worst pitch of the outing [to Noel],” Weaver said.
Holmes — the demoted closer who had been brilliant getting out of jams in the playoffs — allowed a leadoff single in the 10th and two-out walk-off home run to David Fry.
He said he didn’t pitch Fry any differently than he would’ve if there wasn’t a runner on third base — a possibility if he had played a come-backer differently earlier in the inning.
“I probably got a little quick there with the sinker and threw it the one spot I couldn’t throw it,” Holmes said. “If it’s a good sinker down and way below the zone, it’s probably a more favorable outcome.”
