BALTIMORE — Less than three weeks from being removed from the closer’s role, Aroldis Chapman may soon find himself back in the ninth inning.
Chapman had a second straight good outing Tuesday, but his effort was wasted when Dellin Betances gave up a game-winning, two-run homer to Manny Machado in the bottom of the ninth of a 7-6 loss to the Orioles at Camden Yards.
“He’s back,” said one AL talent evaluator after Chapman’s scoreless seventh inning.
While still expressing confidence in Betances, Joe Girardi acknowledged that Chapman was heading back into more important situations.
“Yeah, I told you, I believe in this guy,” Girardi said of Chapman. “He’s gonna help us. He threw his slider and his fastball was good. His last two outings have been really good. … That’s a good sign for us because we’re gonna need it.”
Chapman lost his closer’s job after surrendering runs in four straight appearances in August.
“I’ve been a closer for a long time in my career,” Chapman said through an interpreter. “That’s not the focus here. For me, I need to be ready to pitch when they need me. The other guys closing games right now are very good pitchers, Dellin and [David] Robertson. What matters now is winning. When they want me to pitch, I’ll be ready.”
The Yankees have now lost the last six times he’s pitched — but Tuesday’s defeat was no fault of Chapman’s.
Chapman was coming off an appearance where he fanned three batters and hit 105 mph in the eighth inning of a loss to Boston on Friday.
Girardi attributed some of Chapman’s success that night to having not pitched for a week, but in order to be effective, Chapman will have to be able to pitch well on little-to-no rest.
He was rested again on Tuesday, when Girardi went to Chapman to protect a one-run lead in the eighth.
After Robertson retired the heart of Baltimore’s lineup in order in the seventh, Chapman came on and got Trey Mancini and Mark Trumbo to ground out before striking out Chris Davis looking, topping out at 103 mph.
Betances, though, couldn’t complete the victory.
“Machado is a guy you know can change the complexion of the game with one swing,” Girardi said. “But I still have a ton of confidence in Dellin and his stuff and his ability. He just hung one [breaking ball].”