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Ex-pitcher reveals Yankees secret weakness
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- Ex-pitcher reveals Yankees secret weakness
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Undeniably, the New York Yankees are heartbroken at being eliminated by the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS. A season with so much hope and expectation came to an end before a home crowd no less.
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So many factors can help explain the result. However, one former Yankees pitcher, Joba Chamberlain , offers insight into a specific weakness plaguing New York that contributed to their demise, according to MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM.
"If you face the Yankees, throw a splitter," he said.
Those struggles came to pass in this series. For instance, the Yankees went 0-for-22 and struck out 13 times at the plate when facing the splitter. Furthermore, they swung and missed on 24 out of 39 attempts.
In Game 2, Toronto rookie Trey Yesavage utilized the splitter effectively in 5.1 innings pitched, giving up no-hits, and striking out 11. Altogether, the Yankees had virtually no answer when facing that type of pitch.
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In all, New York couldn't overcome a late season struggle after dominating the AL East for much of the early part of the regular season. Not only that, but the Yankees haven't been able to get over the hump of coming up short in the postseason.
A problem that has been plaguing them since 2009 when they last won the World Series. They get to the postseason including the ALCS and the World Series in 2024, but can't seal the deal.
Joba Chamberlain's night in playoff infamy
In 2007, it was Chamberlain who was on the mound ironically in the ALDS. At that time, the Bronx Bombers were taking on the then Cleveland Indians (now Cleveland Guardians).
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In Game 2, Chamberlain experienced what would later be referred to as the " Bug Game ". A flock of midges were buzzing around his head.
It affected his performance as Cleveland broke a 1-1 tie to win the game 2-1 and the series in four games.
Related: Stephen A. Smith's honest take on Yankees' Aaron Boone hot seat buzz
