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The New York Yankees had the ALDS Game 3 win in their sights as they entered the ninth inning with a two-run lead. Instead of using their tried and tested closer Clay Holmes to shut the door, manager Aaron Boone decided to go a different direction. It backfired.
Wandy Peralta, who got the last four outs for the Yankees, stayed in and got the first out before giving up two singles. With the heart of the order coming up, Boone went with Clarke Schmidt in a decision that could be the seen as the death knell should New York not be able to come back in the series. Schmidt gave up three singles with just one out in between, and that made all the difference in the 6-5 Guardians comeback win.
Luis Severino was in line for the win before the Guardians turned things upside down in the ninth. Asked how he felt about the decision not to go with Clay Holmes, the longtime Yankees starter admitted after the game that the choice left him surprised:
“He's our closer. So of course I was surprised. I don't know if he was down. There shouldn't be people down in the playoffs. That's something you guys need to ask Boone or [Matt] Blake to see what was going on there.”
He wasn't alone, either as Clay Holmes also spoke out about being bewildered that he never got the call to warm up in the Yankees pen.
Luis Severino was surprised Clay Holmes didn't pitch the 9th:
"He's our closer, so of course I was surprised. I don't know if he was down. There shouldn't be people down in the playoffs. That's something you guys need to ask Boonie or Blake to see what was going on there." pic.twitter.com/2SJ70kYGOj
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) October 16, 2022
Aaron Boone later clarified that barring an emergency he wasn't prepared to let Clay Holmes pitch in back-to-back games as he dealt with what he called “normal soreness”. Given that those final two outs stood between the Yankees and owning a 2-1 lead in a best-of-five series, it's hard to argue that it didn't merit an “emergency” label.
