New York Yankees closer Luke Weaver was never going to stay infallible forever, and while Tuesday's appearance with a four-run lead in ALCS Game 2 didn't go off the rails, the negative effects might linger.
Clearly, Aaron Boone had no interest in reopening the door for the Cleveland Guardians late in Game 2, and the Yankees' manager deserves praise for taking each game seriously (while simultaneously not stressing too severely like Guards skipper Stephen Vogt). But, with a four-run lead in the ninth and a rally brewing against Guardians fill-in righty Ben Lively, it would have been nice to put things completely out of reach and pave the path for Ian Hamilton to get his first run since ALDS Game 2.
Nope. No runs. And so, there came Weaver in the ninth for a non-save, making his sixth appearance in six playoff games. If you're power ranking the games he never should've been in, ALDS Game 2 still takes the cake; he threw five pitches and retired Bobby Witt Jr. with a three-run deficit. But this one still boggled the mind slightly, especially when Jose Ramirez hopped on a changeup and homered, his first impact hit (despite many opportunities) in the series' first two games.
If Ramirez and Aaron Judge are both awake for Game 3, Yankees fans will probably accept that trade-off. Stars are bound to be stars, as long as our star's involved. But ... still ... while a Ramirez breakout might've felt inevitable, it was a few ticks more frustrating that it came off Weaver, who'll never admit he's tired, but likely is feeling some degree of strain.
Yankees' Luke Weaver gave Jose Ramirez a cookie in ALCS Game 2 vs. Guardians
Not as annoying as giving Bobby Witt Jr. extra cracks at Weaver last round, but still ... sigh.
Will using Weaver in Game 2 make the difference in the series? It had better not. It would be deeply silly if it did. Hopefully, if it does make an outsized impact, i'll be because Boone's aggression in locking down a kinda-close-but-not-that-close victory is looked upon favorably by the sports gods.
But, if the Yankees are going to make a World Series run, they'll need to find more than four trustworthy relievers, especially since Game 2 proved that not even Gerrit Cole can be counted on for six or seven guaranteed innings.
Add in the Ramirez awakening, and you have a little unnecessary consternation at the end of another lockdown victory.
