The Yankees couldn’t have asked to be in a better position: tied in the ninth inning with the Dodgers and closer Dellin Betances on the mound on a day the opposing starting pitcher was Clayton Kershaw.
But by the end of the ugly frame, they couldn’t be in a worse spot: about to head out on a make-or-break, 11-game road trip coming off three losses in four games.
“Every loss is a tough one now. Obviously, we’re trying to make a push here for the playoffs, so it definitely hurts,” Betances said after giving up the game-winning runs, on a Justin Turner RBI double sandwiched between a pair of errors, one his own, in a 2-0 loss to the Dodgers in The Bronx.
Betances, pitching for the second straight day, was put in a tough spot immediately when second baseman Starlin Castro was unable to field Corey Seager’s soft line drive. The error got the inning off to a poor start, with the middle of the Dodgers’ batting order coming up.
“It was a tough one. I don’t know what the ball did there,” Betances said. “Those guys try to make plays for you each and every time. I got to be able to pick them up.”
He was unable to this time. Turner laced a hanging, 3-2 curveball down the left-field line, driving in Seager, as the Dodgers finally broke through after being held scoreless by the Yankees over the previous 17 innings. Two batters later, Yasmani Grandal hit a comebacker Betances fielded cleanly. But his short throw to home sailed high and wide, and Turner crossed for an all-important insurance run.
“It just didn’t feel good out of my hands,” Betances said. “I felt like I grabbed the tip of [the ball] with my hands. The throw kind of sailed on me. I got to be better.”
Short throws have been a problem for the 6-foot-8 Betances. He feels he needs better footwork and to take his time rather than rushing.
“Probably would’ve been better if I did underhand it,” he said. “I feel like I’m always planting [my foot] when I’m throwing the ball. I think it’s more just trusting it’s going to be good, instead of thinking it might not be.”
Since the Yankees traded star relievers Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller in late July, Betances has performed well as the closer, picking up 11 saves and blowing just one opportunity. He had given up just four earned runs in 17 outings spanning 17 1/3 innings since taking on his new role, but those performances didn’t contribute to a loss, just closer victories. Wednesday’s uneven performance led to a defeat, and a stinging one at that.