Yankees: Aroldis Chapman’s worst blown saves ever

When Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman is smiling, that’s typically a bad thing. It’s like an involuntary muscle twitch that only activates when his body is dealing with an extreme form of failure.

Either that, or he may or may not have just … ahem, released some tension in his pants. One or the other.

You’ve seen it end the most recent two postseasons (for all intents and purposes) when Rays utility man Mike Brosseau slammed a homer to left, following in Jose Altuve’s walk-off footsteps from 2019.

Both moments were awful, but neither was a blown save! The two games were untied quickly, and the dingers will stay with us forever, but Thursday night’s lightning-quick coughed-up lead left us thinking: Was that the most devastating Chappy blown game of all time? Or, at least, was it the least effective he’s ever been?

Removing the two postseason homers from this list (again, horrid, but not blown saves), we’ve catalogued what we believe to be the worst blown saves in Chapman’s catalogue. We’re going to stick to the Yankees here with one big exception, too; all due respect to his Reds career, but that’s not why the fans are hate-clicking right now.

We’d like to name one honorable mention, too: July 21, 2018 at Yankee Stadium against the New York Mets, when Chapman was called upon to hold onto a 7-3 lead in the ninth. The result? A walk to Kevin Plawecki, an Amed Rosario infield single, a walk to Ty Kelly, a walk to Jose Reyes, and a Brandon Nimmo HBP. The only reason it avoids placement here? Chasen Shreve entered (!) and induced a double-play grounder and a chopper for the final out.

7-6. Why? Who knows. The Yankees involved in the other games listed weren’t so lucky.

6. Aug. 28, 2020 “vs.” New York Mets

When Chapman took the mound against the New York Mets at Yankee Stadium as the road team, protecting a one-run lead in a terrible stretch for the Bombers, many smelled disaster.

Count Rosario, again, among those who felt that way!

This was the second game of a seven-inning double header, inarguably the easiest type of game in which to hold a lead! And yet …

In the first contest, the Yankees raced out to a 4-0 advantage, given away with one run in the fifth and a five-run implosion in the sixth thanks to Chad Green surrendering a three-run Pete Alonso homer, followed by Dom Smith and Jake Marisnick solo shots.

In the nightcap, Chapman entered as the “away” team on his own home turf with a 3-2 lead. Gotta win. Must win. Nope. He walked Jeff McNeil, who swiftly became Billy Hamilton, who then stole second. Rosario stepped to the plate and walked Chappy off with a dinger … on the road. The embarrassment of this one, plus the context clues, place it near the top of this list.

5. July 14, 2017 at Boston Red Sox

Another hilarious defeat swiped directly out of the jaws of victory, and one that happened similarly in a snap like Thursday’s game.

The Yankees, mired in an awful stretch and needing a win in Boston (where have we heard this before?), took a 4-3 lead in the fifth inning on a Gary Sanchez home run and held it all the way until … Chapman took the mound for the ninth.

Mookie Betts single, Dustin Pedroia single, double steal, Xander Bogaerts reaches on a game-tying error, intentional walk, Andrew Benintendi walk-off walk. Not a single out recorded. Bye.

It simply doesn’t get more incompetent than that at Fenway … until you reach 2018, that is.

3. July 15, 2019 vs. Tampa Bay Rays

The Travis d’Arnaud Game. Write it in ink.

Did you click on this list of “Worst Yankees Losses of the Past Five Years” because you’re a masochistic Yankees fan or a hater? Be honest. This has been unpleasant to write, and likely unpleasant to read.

Up 4-2 entering the ninth thanks to an extremely clutch Edwin Encarnacion home run in the eighth (awesome!), Aroldis Chapman allowed singles to Kevin Kiermaier (that guy again) and Guillermo Heredia to start the inning off, then retired both Willy Adames and Joey Wendle on swinging strikeouts. Awesome! Deed done.

Oh, except he still had to get d’Arnaud, the former Met who was only just coming into his own. He battled to a 3-2 count before walloping a home run into the right-field seats. Stunner. The Yankees, equally dead behind the eyes, went down quietly in the ninth.

2. Game 7, 2016 World Series

OK, fine, pre-second-Yankees-stint, but we would’ve been filleted if we hadn’t included this.

Chapman, paralyzed from overuse, nearly blew an entire World Series during his rental stint in Chicago! 1.1 innings pitched, two of his own earned runs, and a game-tying shot to freaking Rajai Davis!

While Yankee fans believe Chapman is typically worse when he gets more time off, Joe Maddon proved you can also burn out the closer with repetitive use in a short span of time. We’re used to his typical usage patterns by now. Imagine if Aaron Boone had used his closer in Games 2 and 3 of a World Series, then come back to him for 2.2 innings, 1.1 innings, and another 1.1 in Games 5-7? You’d lose your mind.

Without a rain delay and the real “save” from Jason Heyward, Chapman would be the most hated man in Chicago, seeing as this Cubbies core still hasn’t won another one. Unbelievable.

1. June 10, 2021 vs. Minnesota Twins

Actually, truly the worst ever. You cannot beat this in terms of efficiency and devastation. Was this the highest-impact game Chapman’s ever wilted in? Of course not. But in terms of stunning blows, this came the quickest and the wildest. This was a worst-case fandom scenario. As Nelson Cruz’s home run, the second of the inning, was headed to the turf, it felt like a natural conclusion. Of course. 

Except, well … not really! Four batters, four hits, two dingers for a loss. He’s the first Yankee ever to allow four or more runs and two or more homers while recording zero outs in a blown save.

That was not normal. In fact, it was the objective worst ever.

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