Orioles and Yankees Face Closer Struggles

As the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles vie for dominance in the AL East, the competition remains tight, with neither team leading by more than 4.5 games since the All-Star break. The Yankees' struggles are epitomized by closer Clay Holmes, who has become the 27th pitcher in the wild-card era to record at least 10 blown saves. Historically, only two pitchers from this group have reached the World Series, raising questions about Holmes' reliability as the Yankees aim for postseason play. Holmes' recent performance has been a rollercoaster, with his 10th blown save occurring in a narrow 1-0 game, highlighting the precarious nature of closing games. Despite his struggles, Yankees manager Aaron Boone has publicly backed Holmes, stating, “Clay’s the guy.” This season, Holmes has converted 13 saves in a row early on but has faltered since, with a record of 13 for 23 in save opportunities since May 20. The narrative of struggling closers is not unique to the Yankees. The Orioles' Felix Bautista and the Red Sox's Craig Kimbrel have also faced challenges in recent seasons, with Kimbrel allowing a .286 average in his appearances since the break. Both teams' ability to secure late-game victories will be crucial as they continue their fierce competition for the AL East title. As the season progresses, the performance of closers like Holmes and Kimbrel will be pivotal in determining the playoff fates of both the Yankees and Orioles, making the race for the division even more compelling.