The Yankees ’streak of wins leads them to lead the wildcard at the right time

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It’s hard to believe the New York Yankees hadn’t won 11 games in a row since 1985, when Rickey Henderson, Dave Winfield and Ken Griffey Sr. they patrolled the gardens, as they have won the most games in the majors during those 36 seasons. They had won 10 in a row six times in the intervening years, but lost the eleventh game each time.

Then, when the Atlanta Braves ’dangerous first baseman Freddie Freeman came in turn in the bottom of the ninth on Tuesday with two outs, full bases and the Yankees clinging to a 5-4 lead, the moment held a tension similar to that of the playoffs between two possible World Series fighters, with the winning streak at stake. In fact, it became the best moment of play on the line: it was only the fifth appearance on the plate this season in the big ones that it reached a 3-2 count with full bases in the ninth with two outs and the team in the low bat for a run.

The unusual point of view in all this: it was Wandy Peralta who threw Freeman and not Aroldis Chapman.

Chapman had started the inning, pitching for the second night in a row after making 11 pitches on Monday. Adam Duvall connected a single with an out and two outs, Ehire Adrianza walked on four pitches. On a turn in the seven-throw bat, Ozzie Albiès managed in a single in the box, somehow overcoming a routine of two jumps to third base to load the bases (one of the most impressive plays of the season).

By now, Chapman was as soft as Matthew Modine in a rubber suit on “Vision Quest.” Chapman has been better lately after a stretch from mid-June to early July, when he allowed 15 runs in 5⅔ innings, but Aaron Boone is still gaining confidence. Chapman just returned late last week after losing 13 days with an elbow inflammation and allowed a home run, a walk and a hit in his first game against the Boston Red Sox and Boone pulled him off for Lucas Luetge, who got the last out to save a 5-2 victory.

Then, when Chapman walked Jorge Soler with a 3-2 to force a run on Tuesday, Boone pulled Chapman out for the second time in a row while he was in a save situation.

Peralta, acquired from the Giants in late April by Mike Tauchman has made his way into key situations. He fought Freeman for nine pitches, and eventually got him to fly to record his third save with the Yankees.

Opening pitcher Andrew Heaney was impressed.

“You have a lot of crazy things to throw at; I think it was three or four consecutive 3-2 changes for the current National League JMV, and all of them quality throws, and he pulled it off,” Heaney said. “It’s a great position to be put in, and getting Wandy out like that was extremely impressive.”

With a day off on Wednesday, Boone handled this as a playoff game, taking Heaney out after four innings and turning in six relievers. However, the Yankees only have one day off scheduled until Sept. 22, so it will be 27 games in 28 days. Even with a couple of extra places on the roster in September, he’s pressing the bullpen with six relievers per night. Also, after this performance, Boone will not want to use Chapman too often on consecutive days, and that aside from the comfort level when using it in rescue situations. Remember, Zack Britton is probably out for the rest of the season and could face Tommy John surgery.

Still, the Yankees haven’t lost since the “Field of Dreams” game in Iowa. They lead the Red Sox by 2.5 games in the wildcard race, with the Athletics two games behind the Red Sox. While all the positives are aligning, the offense improved with Joey Gall and Anthony Rizzo; Gerrit Cole and Jameson Taillon settling into a powerful 1-2 duo; a defense that has made some big plays lately (including Andrew Velázquez delivering a good shot at the relay to catch Freeman on the plate and save a run on Tuesday): Chapman’s problem hovers over the final straight and the Yankees’ hopes in October .

At this point, it’s hard to imagine the Yankees coming all the way with Chapman as a shutout. When put in front of the batsmen, you can still eliminate with the slider or a straight finger line, but getting in front has been problematic, with 31 tickets in 42 innings. He has already matched his career record with seven homers allowed. As we saw against Albiès and Soler, he has little faith in his straight, throwing Albiès 3 sliders in a row with three balls and then throwing 5 sliders in a row to Soler after a straight on the first throw out of the area. This is not the intimidating and dominant Chapman we are used to.

So while the Yankees continue to win, Boone still faces a difficult question: Who will the guy be in the ninth inning?

The Red Sox and Alex Cora could soon ask themselves the same question. They managed to hold on to the push to beat the Twins 11-9 on Tuesday, but Cora had to pull off their shutter, Matt Barnes, after Barnes came in with a three-run lead and allowed a home run to Josh Donaldson and then give up two tickets. Hansel Robles, who had allowed 20 runners in the bases in his first 8⅔ innings with the Red Sox after reaching an agreement on the exchange deadline, had to clean it up and get two strikeouts and then did that Jake Cave connected line to second base.

Barnes came into the All-Star Game after a dominant first half, but has had problems in August, with 10 runs and 3 homers allowed in his last 4⅓ innings. He also pitched on Monday and had to be taken out of that outing, after allowing hits to four of the five batters he faced and ruining the save (although the Red Sox won the game in the tenth inning). Barnes has always been unstable throughout his career when he appeared in consecutive games, so as with Chapman, this is a constant concern.

Robles had 10 saves with the Twins before the exchange, and was throwing 99 mph on Tuesday, but it’s hardly a reliable option.

For now, Cora emphasized the positive: a victory.

“We have 72 of those, and not many teams can say that,” Cora said after the game. “It’s 27 outs. Sometimes it’s easy, sometimes it’s difficult. It seems like the last two days we had to use almost the whole roster, which isn’t perfect, but it’s good. Sometimes wins like this help us build. the character “.

So, yes, for now, all is well, although the level of anxiety increases as we move into October.

This is true for all teams and fans in the race for the playoffs. I got a message from a friend of mine, a Mariners fan, who was watching the end of the Yankees game (encouraging a defeat, of course). “This is more stressful than an M s game,” he texted me.

It’s worth noting that Seattle completed a two-game sweep over the Athletics to place just one behind Oakland and three games behind Boston. The M’s are somehow at it despite a minus-56 race differential. Scott Servais stayed with Drew Steckenrider, who threw the final seven outs of a 5-1 win on Tuesday with just 23 pitches. Then, as All-Stars Chapman and Barnes fight, the Mariners have stayed in the race for the wildcard behind Steckenrider and Paul Sewald, two guys they signed as free agents after their previous organizations let them go. They have been combined for an effectiveness of 2.18.

At this time of year, the resume should be discarded. You want the hot hand, and the Yankees and the Red Sox hope to find one.

ESPN Data Information was used in this story.

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