Luke Weaver and Clay Holmes implode in Yankees bullpen disappointment

CLEVELAND – The Yankees took out their Bizarro bullpen in a heartbreaking loss.

Rarely used Tim Hill and Tim Mayza got big outs with runners on base.

Workhorses Luke Weaver and Clay Holmes gave up big home runs with runners on base.

And the Yankees, one hit away from staging a comeback win in the 10th inning of Game 3 of the ALCS, suffered the shock of a 7-5 walk-off loss to the Guardians on Thursday.

Who would have expected this result considering how the first six playoff games of bullpen dominance turned out?

“We're supposed to go out there and do our job … finish things off,” Holmes said. “Our expectation out there is to put in zeros every time. We didn’t get it done, but I still believe there are good things to come (in Game 4).”

The Yankees' bullpen allowed three runs (two earned) in 23¹/₃ innings with a WHIP of 0.857, picking up the slack for the rotation in a 5-1 start to the playoffs.

However, near-perfect results are too much to expect at this time of year.

“It’s baseball. Things like that happen,” Aaron Judge said. “It’s not something you like to see in this situation, but these guys have been so good for us all season. These guys were a real hit, especially in the postseason.”

The Yankees were down 2-1 when starter Clarke Schmidt went out and didn't try to fill the final 13 outs, following the Holmes-to-Tommy Kahnle-to-Weaver recipe relied on by manager Aaron Boone leaves.

Instead, Hill stranded a runner on second base to end the fifth, Mayza stranded runners on the corners to end the sixth, and Kahnle stranded runners on first and second base to end the seventh and the deficit to hold at 3:1.

Mayza surrendered an RBI single to the first batter he faced after Ian Hamilton left the game due to injury.

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The Yankees appeared to be in a great position after Judge and Giancarlo Stanton hit back-to-back home runs for a 4-3 lead – until Weaver's first blown save since taking over as closer in early September.

Lane Thomas doubled from the top of the wall after making it 0-2 with two outs in the ninth. Johnsky Noel followed with a narrow, game-winning two-run home run.

“Honestly, just a pitch away,” Weaver said. “I really felt like I let the team and myself down.”

Weaver began his first career trip through the playoffs with six straight scoreless innings before allowing a home run in Game 2. Perhaps this was a sign that invincibility was wearing off.

“I just threw the worst pitch of the trip (to Noel),” Weaver said.

Holmes – the demoted closer who had bounced back from fumbles in the playoffs with flying colors – allowed a leadoff single in the 10th and two walk-off home runs to David Fry.

He said he pitched Fry no differently than if there was no runner on third base – a possibility if he had pitched a comebacker differently earlier in the inning.

“I probably went a little too fast with the sinker and threw it in a spot where I couldn’t throw it,” Holmes said. “If there’s a good sinker well below the zone, that’s probably a more favorable outcome.”