In Game 5 of the 1995 ALDS, the Yankees were leading 5-4 in the 11th inning against the Seattle Mariners, when Edgar Martinez hits a walk-off, 2-RBI double, to send the Mariners to the ALCS.
After a brutal lost like that, the next season or next couple of years, that young 1995 Yankee team, responded very well.
And that's what the new Yankees of 2016 need to take, after this brutal lost last night, by the hands of the Boston Red Sox, after Dellin Betances blows a 3-run save in the ninth.
This was a tough lost. I even hate typing those words, above. I was ready to post a column about how the Yankees should re-sign Aroldis Chapman, next year, and move Betances back to the 8th inning role. But you know what, just like how Mariano Rivera had blown saves and got back from it, Betances needs do so as well.
Let these young Yankees feel the burn of this lost. Learn from it, like the '95 Yankee team did. Make them want it more for the next game or -- mainly -- for next year. I understand in 1995, the Yankees lost a playoff game, but last night's lost almost felt like a season ending lost. Let's be honest, this could be hard for a team that doesn't have much experience, to comeback from. Can the Yankees all of sudden go nuts and take the next three games at Fenway? Why can't it happen... But I understand if it didn't.
This could be a free, big lost. Lol. Yankees weren't expected to go anywhere, anyways. So let this be a free, bad lost.
Going back to Betances: You can't get down on him. Since Betances has been here, this has been worst game as a Yankee. He's been outstanding, as a closer and 8th-inning setup man. On any given night, you give Betances a 3-run lead in the ninth, the Yankees win that game. Now, has he been spotless in his save spots? No. But he always seems to get out of it.
Last night, I was sitting on the edge of my couch, watching that ninth inning unravel. But I knew Betances was gonna get of it. Because he always does. He'll somehow get batters to swing at this knuckle-curve, that's a foot out of the strikezone. When I saw Hanley Ramirez chase that 2-0 curve that was basically in the other batter's box, I felt he was gonna get out of it.
But when Ramirez CLEARLY swung at that 2-1 curve and the first base umpire called no swing, that's when I knew something bad was gonna happen. Even that umpire knew he was wrong. He didn't know what he saw. He just threw his arms up, safe.
After that, Betances throws Ramirez a letter high fastball and clocked it for a three-run homerun. Why did Betances throw him the fastball? No clue. After he swung at two curves; and if he didn't swing at the curve and Ramirez walks - fine. First base was open. Go after the next batter.
Location has been the only problem to Betances' immaculate talent. Although, his stuff is so nasty, when all of his pitches sharp, he can throw any pitch, in any spot and he'll get the batter out. When that curve is right on the money, he can throw at ANY PART of the strikezone and batters will swing and miss. Even though he has location problems, his still guys out because he stuff is that nasty.
Betances is like the Valdimir Guerrero of pitching. Betances can throw any pitch out of the strikezone and get swings/misses, while Guerrero can hit a pitch in the dirt and hit a 400-ft homerun.
Once he learns how to locate his fastball in different areas, like Mariano Rivera did, he'll never give up a run. He's gotta throw fastball more and learn to locate it. And most importantly, like Mo did, he has to learn how to get outs with the fastball, when he doesn't have the strikeout pitch. We think Betances is gonna strikeout every batter in the ninth and that's never gonna happen.
Gotta learn how to lose. The core four did.
All the good teams you see in the majors today, all had bad runs. The Baltimore Orioles is one perfect example. Every year, the Yankees use to wipe the floor with the Orioles. Then after that 2012 postseason, when the Yankees beat them in five games, they came back with a chip on their shoulders and have been a pretty consistent, winning team.
Betances, Gary Sanchez, Aaron Judge; all those guys have to learn how to lose, together. Greg Bird already dealt with that last season, in the one-game wild card. So he already knows how it feels.
You know what's great about Sanchez, Judge and Bird -- they all have effortless power. Nowadays in the minors, you hope to get a guy who hits 15-homers and plays good defense. The Yankees have three young guys with power. True power. So much power, that would not be impossible for three of them to get 25-homers or more, next season. It's not impossible.
And don't forget Starlin Castro, whose still young and has already hit 21-homeruns. A career high for him.
Negative lost. But a very positive future.
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