From Bryan Hoch:
For nearly four games, the Yankees’ bullpen had been untouchable. It took just a few pitches in the ninth inning Monday for that run to end, sending the club to its first defeat of the season.
Cal Raleigh lined a run-scoring, walk-off single facing Paul Blackburn in a 2-1 loss to the Mariners at T-Mobile Park. The hit scored Leo Rivas and marked the first run allowed by a Yankees reliever this year.
“The whole pitching staff has been doing well, starters and relievers,” said left-hander Ryan Weathers, who struck out seven over 4 1/3 innings in his Yankees debut. “We’ve given up three runs as a whole entire pitching staff. That’s really good. Hopefully we can keep getting outs and keep it rolling.”
The knock offered a measure of redemption for Raleigh, the runner-up to Aaron Judge in last year’s American League Most Valuable Player race, who was out of Seattle’s lineup after a 2-for-15 start.
It came after four relievers had held the line behind Weathers, who scattered four hits and two walks in a 77-pitch effort.
It’s ridiculous to make this about the bullpen when the offense scored a SINGLE run.
Come on, this was obviously on the hitters.
Luis Castillo just DOMINATED the Yankees. He gets the header image.
Ryan Weathers was fine in his Yankee debut. Not great, but not bad, either. Seven Ks, but VERY inefficient.
I didn’t like using Paul Blackburn in the 8th after Doval got the last out of the 7th, but whatever, I don’t think I could tell you that Blackburn was the worst choice in the ninth inning if the game had remained tied after an inning from Doval (Tim Hill was off limits after pitching two games in the Giants series, as the Yankees didn’t want to go 3/4 games this early in the season, even with the off day).
So whatever. It wasn’t even like Blackburn was terrible. Two seeing-eye singles before a solid hit by Raleigh.
Blackburn also got through the 8th inning strong. This appears to be a good bullpen, but when the starting pitcher doesn’t go five, you’re going to burn through your good relievers quickly. Fried and Schlittler need to give them
some length in the next two games.
Something that will be nice when Volpe is back is that Rosario can be pinch hit for late in the game when the other team uses a righty to counter him. As is, once Rosario is in, you’re stuck with him. It’s worth it to use him, just that that is a factor. It’d be nice to be able to use, say, Goldy with a runner on third in a tie game in the 8th inning instead of Rosario.
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