Five wins in a row does not solve the problem: The Yanks still have no closer

 

At his peak in Pittsburgh, David Bednar enjoyed the most epic and delirious entrance in all of baseball. 

As he stepped from the bullpen, PNC Stadium would suddenly take on a Stygian darkness. Then, to the 1978 Styx anthem "RENAGADE" - (O mama I'm in fear for my life from the long arm of the law...) - the lights would blaze, and Bednar would emerge. As he jogged to pitcher's mound, the crowd would enjoy a moment of mass self-immolation worthy of Springsteen, Taylor Swift and Weird Al.

Sadly, few people got to witness Bednar's grand illusion. The Pirates didn't win enough games. And then, Bednar fell apart. He went from a league-leading 39 saves in 2023 to just 20 the following season, and this year - before being salary dumped to the Yankees - Bednar was so shaky that he was exiled to the politically incorrect Triple A internment camp known as the Indianapolis Indians. He pitched five scoreless innings there and made his way back to Pittsburgh, just in time for the Aug. 1 trade deadline, when the Pirates jubilantly pulled the trigger.

Lately, there's been YES Network happy talk that Bednar - with a new uniform and scenery - had claimed the Yankee closer slot, still remembered for Mariano, Goose Gossage and - to a lesser but far sweatier degree - Aroldis Chapman, the Cuban Water Cannon. 

Last night, Bednar dispelled those drunken hopes. He could not hold a two-run lead over tomato can Tampa, yielding a drive off the bat of somebody named Hunter Feduccia - (doing his Feducciary duty?) - which came about 40 inches from being a three-run, walk-off HR that would have become one of 2025's most crushing moments. The Yankees won in extra innings - (thank you, Mr. Gio) - but once again, when the final three innings arrive, our legion of bullpen heroes look like - (as J.P. Donleavy would say in his masterpiece The Unexpurgated Code) - "the bootless and unhorsed."

Last night, we watched Cam Schlittler flirt with a perfect game into the 7th, only to watch a 3-0 lead unravel. Not even Luke Weaver - (who saved Schlitter with a bases loaded strikeout) - could hold back Tampa's murderous cupcake row. (To be fair, Luke gave up a HR on a pitch nearly a foot above the strike zone. The guy shouldn't have even swung at it.) Then, in the 10th, Devin Williams escaped a jam by fanning three Rays. The outcome was fine. It's the "escaped the jam" part that bothers us.

This weekend, barring a massacre of historical proportions, the Yankees will surely reach some late innings with a game on the line. Honestly? I dunno Who The Fuck comes in to hold that line. Here's the bullpen stats for the last 30 days. It's not pretty.

Worst part of this, the lack of a closer means that Aaron Boone will mix and match - Tim Hill for lefties, Your Name Here for everybody else. (Note: Hill and Mark Leiter are missing from the above list, they both fell below Hamilton. What it comes down to is this: Anybody can get the call.) 

On July 31, the Yankees traded for three bullpen arms, hoping to bring stability to chaos.  It didn't happen. There will be no more trades, and unless you're sold on Brent Headrick (currently of Scranton), there is no cavalry coming. What we see is what we've got.  

But but BUT... here we are! - two ahead of Boston! If we can take this series - that is, win three - we can put the bastards in our rearview. All we need is someone to pitch the seventh, eighth and ninth. Is there anybody out there? O, Mama, I can hear you a-cryin', you're so scared and all alone...