BOSTON — A Yankees lead already had been blown when Aroldis Chapman entered Friday night’s game at Fenway Park.
There already was pinstriped despair prior to Chapman’s appearance because the Yankees had rallied from a three-run deficit to gain a three-run lead and create exactly what they are built to want — a battle of the bullpens.
But by the time manager Joe Girardi summoned Chapman, Chad Green and Tommy Kahnle had conspired to hand the Red Sox a one-run lead.
Girardi wanted his closer — or who he said before the opener of this series was still his closer — to get work after not pitching since Tuesday when he injured his hamstring. Chapman was cleared for this series and this was a little lower leverage opportunity for the lefty to prove he was back to being in dominant form.
Except Chapman made bad worse. For himself. For the Yankees. For the present. For the future.
Chapman was beat up for two runs in the eighth. He again threw hard, but not well. He averaged 100.1 mph with his fastball, reached 102.7 and yet managed just one swing and miss. He permitted two more hits to lefties, one to new nemesis Rafael Devers and a two-run single to Jackie Bradley that provided the final, 9-6.
It was not long ago that Chapman — if he was going to dispense triple digits — could just scream “fastball” and still overwhelm hitters. Yet, now he is routinely getting squared up — by lefties and righties. Todd Frazier, who played five seasons in Cincinnati with Chapman said, “I can’t explain it.” Pitching coach Larry Rothschild called it “mind-boggling.”
When asked if this was about hitters handling velocity better than ever or the chance that Chapman was perhaps tipping pitches or if this was still some fallout from his heavy usage in last year’s postseason, Austin Romine responded: “They are all possibilities. I can’t pinpoint one for you.”
Chapman did everything but redecorate the clubhouse before facing the media at 12:25 a.m. — more than an hour after Craig Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth to put the Red Sox up five games in the AL East.
He insisted he was not frustrated or lacking confidence, but did call this “definitely the hardest [moment in his career].” But he declared, “I am going to get out of it.”
The hole is growing deeper. Chapman has given up runs in four straight outings to balloon his ERA to 4.29. Three of those games were against the Red Sox and, well, that is not exactly how to endear yourself to the Yankees faithful. Especially four-plus months into the largest closer contract (five years, $86 million) in history.
Chapman is supposed to be the backbone to a deep, superb pen. But right now he is the biggest, most expensive question. Girardi, who quickly deigned to name Chapman his closer before first pitch, said he wanted to sleep on it before deciding how Chapman would be used next.
My suspicion is if there is a closer needed Saturday that Chapman will get the ball. Girardi tends to have an extended leash with veterans, and the Yankees pen shapes up best if he is thriving in the end. But if not, well, he already has impaired the Yankees’ chances to overtake the Red Sox in 2017 and Chapman’s contract stretches to 2021.
Only Chapman knows for sure if he has lost confidence, but he did clearly lose concentration in this game. He allowed a double-steal in the eighth by not paying attention to the runners and did not back up home after Bradley’s two-run single, allowing Bradley to reach second when the ball escaped Romine.
At that point, Girardi — not Rothschild — went to the mound. No one wanted to divulge too much of what was said, but clearly since it was the manager, Girardi was trying to get his closer’s attention.
If Chapman is lost, you can understand it. He has spent a lifetime throwing hard and bullying hitters. Chapman says “physically I feel really, really good,” and the radar readings would suggest that. And yet the hitters have turned into a bunch of Buster Douglases, taking Mike Tyson’s best shots and not flinching. More than that, hitting back. Hard.
“It is a mystery,” Rothschild said, admitting he has been searching tape and data looking for explanations without success yet.
When I countered that it is a mystery that must be solved, Rothschild said, “Yes, it is.”
Because Chapman isn’t going anywhere. Not for a long time. He is a problem right now for the 2017 Yankees and — not fixed — it is a problem that will keep on giving well into the future.