CHICAGO — Clay Holmes introduced his greatest stuff to a brand new inning.
Pitching for the primary time since shedding sole possession of the nearer’s job Tuesday, Holmes received the eighth inning of Sunday’s 2-1 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Area and breezed by it with a pair of strikeouts.
Going through the highest of the Cubs order, Holmes wanted simply 12 pitches to retire the facet, wanting a lot sharper than he did Tuesday when he misplaced his supply and command on the best way to his eleventh blown save of the season.
“Clay was good,” supervisor Aaron Boone stated. “Good really feel of his sinker and slider, used them each. Each pitches had been sharp. He was sharp. For probably the most half, received forward. … I assumed he seemed actually good.”
Holmes had warmed up Saturday within the backside of the eighth inning in a sport the Yankees led 2-0 however didn’t enter as Nestor Cortes completed off the ultimate 4 ¹/₃ innings.
Boone has left the door open for Holmes to get extra save alternatives whereas going closer-by-matchup however gave him a strong touchdown spot Sunday.
“Simply desirous to get him in spots the place we expect he can excel,” Boone stated. “That type of goes for various our high-leverage guys when we’ve got all of them out there.”
Aaron Decide smoked a pair of balls Sunday, solely one in all which received by for a success as he went 1-for-3 with a stroll.
Since hitting his fiftieth and 51st house runs Aug. 25, Decide has cooled off a bit amid a still-monster season.
That features going a season-high 12 video games with out a lengthy ball whereas hitting 8-for-43 (.186) with 10 walks and a .595 OPS throughout that stretch.
“Not a lot completely different,” Boone stated. “In all probability missed a pair pitches that when he’s actually rolling, he sticks within the seats. However that’s only a matter of an at-bat, again to rolling, and he’ll hit them in bunches. Not far off in any respect.”
Jon Berti is predicted to be activated off the injured checklist this week, probably on Monday because the Yankees optioned outfielder Duke Ellis to Triple-A on Sunday evening to make room on the lively roster. The utilityman has been on the injured checklist since late Could with a calf pressure.
For the third straight day, Anthony Rizzo acquired a standing ovation earlier than his first at-bat Sunday and once more took a number of seconds to salute the gang of 39,364 along with his helmet.
The weekend doubled as a lovefest for Rizzo in his first journey again to Wrigley Area because the Cubs traded him to the Yankees in 2021.
The veteran first baseman went 1-for-3 with a stroll Sunday and 2-for-10 with two walks within the sequence.
Richard Fitts, one of many pitching prospects the Yankees despatched to the Purple Sox within the Alex Verdugo commerce, made his MLB debut Sunday. The suitable-hander threw 5 innings and gave up two unearned runs towards the White Sox.
