Yankees: Using Aroldis Chapman Tuesday could wreck rest of series

One out, nobody on, a two-strike count to backup catcher Austin Wynns…somehow, Yankees reliever Sal Romano turned this into an opportunity for Aroldis Chapman within three batters.

In a game in which the Yanks hit five home runs and led 7-1 with an out recorded in the ninth, near-disaster still struck. This team is unbelievable.

Reminder: this was the game the Yankees were supposed to win by a lot. This was the pitching matchup that pushed WynnBET’s run line all the way to -4.5 just to make things somewhat competitive, in their eyes.

New York ended up covering that total, but in order to get to the finish line, Chapman had to buzz through the heart of the Orioles order in a game he was never supposed to appear in.

Against an O’s team that seems to have the Yankees’ number, did anyone think Chappy was getting through Cedric Mullins cleanly?

He did. He whiffed him, then dismissed Ryan Mountcastle for good measure. But the problem was that he appeared at all; if Aaron Boone holds true to his bullpen rules, Chapman will not pitch tomorrow in the John Means game, which seems destined to be closer than this one.

Perhaps Chapman’s low pitch count (seven) and a bit of desperation will force Boone to change his tune? Nah. Probably not.

Aroldis Chapman had to bail out the Yankees on Tuesday night.

Michael Kay (rightly) noticed, too, that Chapman is right back to hunching himself over after being corrected by Matt Blake and finding a modicum of success. Uncoachable, too, huh? What a joy to employ this fella.

Yes, Chapman got through the ninth. Pros, he looked great! Unfortunately, his unexpected cameo came in the midst of a brutal stretch for the bullpen. Joely Rodriguez and Wandy Peralta got a full day of rest Tuesday. So did Chad Green, who’s looked like a ghost in recent weeks.

Clay Holmes, though, warmed up as early as the fifth inning, and didn’t get register more than a full day off his feet. Chapman warmed, then entered when Romano deflected a line drive single with his bare hand.

The injury means New York might’ve finally jettisoned Brooks Kriske from the 40-man roster entirely for exactly one out of Major League Baseball. Huh. Might’ve left that guy unprotected this winter. Just guessing.

Romano’s inability to record the final out (and stay healthy) could certainly reverberate through the rest of this all-important series; the Yanks will face Means and Chris Ellis, who shut them down in the Saturday snoozer last week that started the team’s seven-game losing streak.

If you’ve watched the 2021 Yankees, you know both games will be tightly-wound. We might’ve at least tried a fourth inning of Michael King on Tuesday. Instead, the closer reared his head in a game he had no business hunching over for.

Looked good, though.

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