MILWAUKEE — Clay Holmes easily struck out three batters on 10 pitches in the bottom of the ninth inning Friday night.
But as the game entered the bottom of the 10th inning with the Yankees leading by one run, manager Aaron Boone instead of asking Holmes to pitch, one of the last two arms left in the bullpen. They named new reliever Michael Tonkin. Second time.
After the Yankees lost 7-6 in 11 innings to the Brewers at American Family Field, Boone had no choice but to stand by his decision.
“[Holmes] With a pace of about 80 games in April and wear and tear in the bullpen, they weren’t looking to take their closer out. I’m going to do four outs this time of year. But we weren’t going to send him out for the second inning,” Boone said.
On Friday, Holmes made his 13th appearance in the Yankees’ 27th game of the season, an unsustainable pace of 78 appearances.
He has shown sharpness early on, pitching 13 straight innings without allowing an earned run since the start of the season, but Boone was adamant about not risking his health.
Entering Friday, Holmes had not pitched since Tuesday, when he saved nine pitches against the Athletics.
Then, he needed just 10 pitches to get through the bottom of the ninth inning against the Brewers.
“[Pitch count] It’s kind of important,” Boone said. “But he’s been in almost half the games, so we weren’t going to go two innings with the closer tonight. And especially with some of the attrition in the bullpen. We’ve got to keep him in a great position.” Don’t do it.”
The Yankees have already placed relievers Nick Vardy (right hip arthritis) and Jonathan Loaisiga (UCL surgery) on injured reserve this season, and Tommy Kahnle (shoulder) has not even returned from spring training. There wasn’t.
On Friday, 17 games played in 17 days, starter Lewis Gil lasted just five innings.
Manager Boone then used Ron Marinaccio, Dennis Santana, Caleb Ferguson, and Holmes to get through the ninth inning, before adding Tonkin to the Brewers’ core players (right-handers Willie Adames and Reece Hoskins, switch hitter Blake Perkins and right-hander Gary Sanchez).
Tonkin finished the game giving up one run in the 10th inning and another run in the 11th inning.
Boone suggested the only other relief pitcher available was left-hander Victor Gonzalez. That means Luke Weaver, who threw 30 pitches Wednesday, and Ian Hamilton, who pitched one inning each Monday and Wednesday, were out.
“[Gonzalez] That was all I had left,” Boone said. “Tonkin is my height. And to get the No. 10 start in that right-handed lane, I wanted Tonkin.”
