Another bad day for ‘out of whack’ Betances
This is New York, so Dellin Betances’ early struggles out of the Yankees bullpen were magnified. Civilization as we knew it was threatened. Mankind — or at least a pennant — stood on the brink of extinction. Then came good back-toback outings and all was right with the world again.
Until Tuesday against the Twins. Betances had what he called “a bad day” and he was being kind. But instead of frenzy, both Betances and manager Aaron Boone see a simple solution as to the next step.
“We keep getting him back out there,” Boone said after the Yankees drubbed the Twins, 8-3, at the Sta- dium with starter CC Sabathia plus a four home-run offense stealing the show.
Betances followed Sabathia’s six strong innings and managed just one out from four batters and 21 pitches, 13 of them balls. It was Betances’ first outing since Thursday. Maybe there was some rust?
“It’s tough but at the same time you can’t make excuses,” Betances said of the layoff. “I’ve got to be able to make better pitches.”
No arguments there. Betances issued a walk, threw the ball away on a pickoff attempt, got a strikeout, then surrendered a single where yet another Yankees error produced a run and a walk. The inevitable yanking occurred at that point.
“I was just a little out of whack. I was flying open, both fastballs and breaking balls,” Betances said. “I was flying open so I was kind of yanking all the pitches there.”
Definitely yanked more than not. He threw just eight strikes. But like Boone, Betances sees a solution: pitch more.
“The more I get out there, the more I’ll pitch, the better I’ll feel,” said Betances after his 300th career appearance actually lowered his season ERA to a still unsightly 6.00 (the run was unearned), especially for a late-innings guy. “I haven’t pitched [enough] to try to get into a rhythm.
“It’s been one of those things where they’re trying to give us rest here and there. The bats have been swinging pretty hot and the starters have been going the distance so it’s been tough to try to get us in a rhythm but the more I get out there the better I’ll feel. Just a bad day. Got to put it behind me and just be ready for tomorrow if my name is called upon.”
And Boone sure sounded like he intends to keep calling the 6-foot-8 righty.
“I really believe we’ve seen enough positive,” said Boone. “Maybe four nights off [means] not as good a rhythm when he comes right in there. But I truly believe it’s not far off and it is in there and it’s on all of us to help him get out because if we’re going to be as good as I think we can be, he needs to play a huge role in that.”