New York Daily News

Bombers know they can’t let up, still ‘a long way to go’ IT’S A NEW SETUP

Chapman is back but he’ll serve a different role as Yankees stick with Clay as closer

- BY KRISTIE ACKERT BY KRISTIE ACKERT NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

CLEVELAND — It’s a refrain that the Yankees have used rarely this year, but effectivel­y: “It’s time to start a new streak.” Having not won a World Series in 12 seasons, the Yankees came into this season motivated to be relentless.

So, the Bombers went into Progressiv­e Field to face the Guardians looking to start another streak after losing to the Astros Thursday in a very weird one-game stop in Houston (because it is a series that was postponed by the lockout). That still counts as a series loss (yes, we know that doesn’t make a lot of sense, but that’s how MLB counts it), which the Yankees only have three of this season. In fact, the Yankees have only lost back-to-back games five times this season and their longest losing streak is three games. The Yankees are 14-5 after losses this season, one of the facts that is making a lot of people predict that this could be a special team.

Winning series and games that they are supposed to was a point of emphasis this season — partly because of what they went through in Houston in past years.

“I think everyone in here is motivated, no one’s satisfied,” Yankees slugger Aaron Judge said. “We know what’s ahead of us. We know, it’s halfway through the year now. Still a long way to go, but every win is important. There’s been so many years we look back and we’re getting down to the end of September and it’s like we’re fighting and clawing and we’re half a game out or just half a game up and I think guys are starting to realize the importance of all these games.”

They come into this three-game series as the favorites, having already swept the Guardians in a three-game set in the Bronx last month. They are heavy favorites with an incredible +150 run differenti­al — no other team in the American League is above +73 (Houston). Cleveland, a game back in the AL Central, has a +14 run differenti­al.

That’s ominous for the Guardians. “We don’t let games we’re supposed to win slip away,” Giancarlo Stanton said Thursday. “There were definitely games last year and in years prior, for sure, that we should win and we let slip somehow. That’s not happening anymore.”

“That’s the key,” Stanton continued. “If teams give us an extra out or two, we jump them. And we don’t give teams extra outs. That’s the difference in the season and in the playoffs. Extra outs are so huge and key.’’

The Yankees were not as ruthless in recent years. They’d struggled against some teams that they were not supposed to. Last season, for example, the Rays (who won the AL East) went 18-1 against the Orioles. The Yankees let Baltimore hang around and went just 11-8 against the AL East cellar dwellers.

“You learn over the years from what’s happened before,” Stanton said. “Our season has ended because of us having more mistakes than the other team. You have it happen to you enough, you understand you have to turn the page and execute. This year, we’ve succeeded more often than not.”

Not this team. The Yankees are the most well-rounded they have been in years.

The pitching staff has the best ERA in the big leagues and has allowed the fewest runs in baseball. The offense leads the majors in runs scored and home runs. In fact, they set a major league record for homers in the month of June with 58.

So, pick your poison.

“We have a lot of ways to beat you,” Stanton said. “It makes it a lot easier when the home run ball isn’t there — and when it is.”

It becomes a lot easier when the balls are flying out of the park — which obviously is happening a lot this season. Judge leads the majors with 29 homers. There are only six other players in baseball who have hit at least 20. Antony Rizzo has 21 and Stanton has 19. The Yankees are the only team that has more than one player in the top eight home runs hitters this season.

“We’ve just got a smart, patient offense, where everyone is wearing the pitchers down, which creates more mistakes,” Stanton said. “It’s not like everyone is taking home run swings. We have profession­al at-bats and that wears guys down. It makes for a smaller room for error if you’re a pitcher. If you haven’t been through that too many times, you’re gonna make more mistakes. And even if you have, it’s been almost impossible to not make mistakes. The more we see them, the more we try to capitalize.”

CLEVELAND -- Aroldis Chapman came off the injured list before Friday’s game, but the All-Star closer was not returning to his familiar role. The 34-year-old has lost his job as the Yankees main closer to Clay Holmes.

That is something that Yankees manager Aaron Boone discussed with Chapman before his return

“We’ve talked and we’ll continue to talk. He deserves that,” Boone said before Friday night’s series opener against the Guardians at Progressiv­e Field. “He deserves that kind of respect. So, as we go, we’ll try and be as forthright as we can, heading into a game where we see him but for right now it’s just getting him back in. And he’s ready for anything.”

Chapman, through Yankees interprete­r Marlon Abreu, said that he understand­s that Holmes has earned that role right now. In his absence, Holmes has converted 14 of 15 saves. He has allowed just two earned runs in 36.2 inning pitched this season.

Now, the Bombers have to try and work Chapman back into high-leverage situations where he can succeed.

“The biggest thing for me and Chappy right now is I want to get him in a really good place where he’s pitching somewhat regularly. Especially here to start , whatever that situation is, whether it’s a low leverage, medium leverage or it could be a high leverage because the game dictates it. It could be closing because the game dictates it,” Boone said. “I just want to get him in situations where he’s going out there with the best opportunit­y to be successful. Hopefully get in that good rhythm where he’s pounding the strike zone. And if we can do that, we’ll be in a good spot.”

Chapman was in a great spot at the start of 2021, but since then he has struggled. In 17 appearance­s this season, before suffering an Achilles/ankle injury, the native Cuban had the highest ERA (3.86) and the lowest strikeout rate (22.7%) of his career. His fastball velocity, which has been declining since 2017, is averaging 97.1 miles per hour. The velocity on all his other pitches is down as well.

The Yankees, with the luxury of Holmes, took a little extra time bringing Chapman back from the IL, to let him work on his delivery. Chapman said there were no major mechanical changes needed. Pitching coach Matt Blake said they were trying to get Chapman to focus on staying in line and Boone described the work as making Chapman “more compact.”

“He can get a little spread out a little wide. And that’s when there can be a little bit of inconsiste­ncy.” Boone said. “So just trying to keep him almost shorter, and just tight. Almost like playing catch. I go back to last year at the start, of those first two months, that was so efficient, and it was probably the best version of Chappie we’ve ever seen. And that’s saying something.”

Chapman, who used to throw 100 miles an hour consistent­ly, said he was just “polishing up,” his mechanics and that he is not concerned about his velocity drop.

“The mechanics have been like that for a long long time. So polishing my mechanics…. I’m not paying attention to velocity as much as you guys are,” Chapman said. “You guys would to pay attention to velocity and make it a talking point, but the reality is that (these) mechanics have been my mechanic’s mechanics for a long time. So polishing is no going to give me a boost of X amount of speed it just is what it is”

To get Chapman back on the active 26-man roster, the Yankees moved Miguel Castro to the Paternity list.

“I think just this weekend, we expect him to meet us in Pittsburgh,” Boon said.

PITCHERS PROGRESSIN­G

Yankees right-handed reliever Jonathan Loaisiga will face live hitters for the first time since going on the IL since May 25 with right shoulder inflammati­on. Loaisiga left New York for Tampa when the Yankees left town on Wednesday night to work out at the Player Developmen­t complex, where he will throw the live batting practice on Saturday.

Domingo German, who began the season in the IL with right shoulder impingemen­t syndrome, will have another minor league rehab start on Sunday, Boone said. He is expected to increase his pitch count, which was at 43 the last time out, with Somerset. Blake said that they were building him up to use in either a bullpen or rotation role.

 ?? GETTY ?? Aroldis Chapman says he understand­s that Clay Holmes has earned closer role for now.
GETTY Aroldis Chapman says he understand­s that Clay Holmes has earned closer role for now.
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