The New York Mets had been the ones from the Big Apple riding some “Playoff Pumpkin” mojo this October, but it was the New York Yankees whose magical carriage turned back into a stinking, rotting gourd Thursday night in Game 3 of their ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians.
In Game 3, Aaron “$360 Million” Judge and Giancarlo “$325 Million” Stanton went back-to-back in the eighth inning off what had been indisputably the best closer in 2024, Emmanuel Clase, to take that stunning lead.
If anything, the Yankees are the wicked stepmother trying to keep this year’s true Cinderella from finally having its ball dance 76 years in the making.
Over the past six playoff games leading up to Thursday’s epic implosion, though, the Yankees had a fairy godmother or something tricking us all into believing their bullpen was a flawless princess.
Well-established, dominant closers crashed and burned left and right throughout the Wild Card and Division Series rounds of the postseason—Devin Williams, Josh Hader, Edwin DÃaz and Clase each had at least one meltdown.
Meanwhile, the Yankees just kept throwing up zeroes regardless of who came on in relief.
The ones who entered the postseason with a gigantic “BULLPEN” tattooed across their resume as the blatantly obvious Achilles’ heel that could be their undoing.
According to FanGraphs, the team’s bullpen was worth 1.5 WAR from May 20th through the end of the regular season, which is 23rd best in the majors and 12th best among playoff teams.
12 teams make the MLB postseason.
Before Labor Day, Luke Weaver had not recorded a save since playing summer ball in the Cape Cod League in 2012.
But after four saves in September, he owned October with four saves and a line of 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, and 9 K.
