Yankees’ bullpen crucial to winning 2024 ALDS

NEW YORK — Luke Weaver has proven to be nearly as entertaining in front of a microphone as he is on the mound. The de facto Yankees closer delivered another doozy in the alcohol-soaked celebration that followed Thursday’s Game 4 of the American League Division Series at Kauffman Stadium, proclaiming himself to be “a ferocious jungle cat.”

“You just feed into the energy,” Weaver said on the YES Network. “I think you tell yourself you’ve got to be relentless, you’ve got to be convicted. I don’t want to mess around and sleep at night and be like, ‘I didn’t give my all. I was scared or timid.’ Just go right after them and keep at it.”

Weaver was the last man (sorry, jungle cat?) on the mound in the Yankees’ 3-1 victory over the Royals, inducing a flyout to center fielder Aaron Judge that punched his club’s ticket into the American League Championship Series against either the Guardians or the Tigers. That best-of-seven series is set to begin on Monday evening at Yankee Stadium.

It was Weaver’s third save in as many opportunities during the ALDS, continuing the strong work that the journeyman right-hander has put forth since being plugged into the ninth inning in early September.

“I feel like I’m living in a movie,” Weaver said. “I want to make sure the ending is pretty good. I want to make sure that I’m able to rewatch it.”

The outing also put the finishing touches on a stellar ALDS for the Bombers’ bullpen, which did not permit an earned run over 15 2/3 innings. It was the third-most innings covered by a bullpen without an earned run in a postseason series, behind 18 1/3 by the Twins against the Blue Jays in the 1991 ALCS and 17 by the Dodgers against the Cubs in the 2017 NLCS.

Including Clay Holmes, dislodged from the closer’s role after 13 blown saves in the regular season only to fire five scoreless innings over four appearances, Yankees relievers held the Royals to a .143 batting average (8-for-56) with four walks and 15 strikeouts.

If Major League Baseball issued MVP Awards for the Division Series, Giancarlo Stanton likely would be clutching hardware after batting .375 (6-for-16) with two doubles, a deciding Game 3 homer and four RBIs. But the relievers were just as big of a reason that the Yankees savored a happy flight home on Friday morning.

“Rock solid,” said ace right-hander Gerrit Cole. “Those guys have faced some ups and downs this year, and they persevered. It’s made them better. They want the ball. We want them with the ball.”

Here is a game-by-game review of how manager Aaron Boone seemingly pushed all of the right bullpen buttons in this series:

ALDS Game 1 (Yankees 6, Royals 5): The only run that Kansas City scored against the bullpen came in the sixth inning, as Tim Hill relieved Gerrit Cole after a leadoff single. Shortstop Anthony Volpe committed a throwing error on a Tommy Pham grounder that put runners at the corners, followed by Garrett Hampson’s pinch-hit single that scored two runs and gave the Royals a 5-4 lead.

In a contest that had five lead changes — briefly a postseason record before the Mets and Phillies one-upped it the next day in Game 3 of the National League Division Series — Holmes (1 2/3 IP), Tommy Kahnle (2/3 IP) and Weaver (1 1/3 IP) ensured the Royals could not pad their advantage.

ALDS Game 2 (Royals 4, Yankees 2): Carlos Rodón was unable to get through the fourth inning in the Yanks’ only loss of the series, but the bullpen hurled 5 1/3 innings of scoreless, three-hit relief behind the lefty, striking out eight with two walks.

With an off-day to follow as the series shifted to Missouri, Boone felt he could use everyone: Ian Hamilton (1 1/3 IP), Jake Cousins (1/3 IP), Hill (2/3 IP), Holmes (one IP), Kahnle (one IP), Tim Mayza (2/3 IP) and Weaver (1/3 IP) all pitched.

ALDS Game 3 (Yankees 3, Royals 2): When Clarke Schmidt got an early hook after 4 2/3 innings, Boone turned to his three highest-leverage relievers to lock down the Royals. Holmes (1 1/3 IP), Kahnle (1 1/3 IP) and Weaver (1 2/3 IP) combined to limit Kansas City to two hits, walking one and striking out one.

“I had complete confidence in them,” Schmidt said. “I think that’s been one of our strengths, if not our main strength, the whole year.”

ALDS Game 4 (Yankees 3, Royals 1): Cole delivered the performance he’d intended to supply in the series opener, harnessing his crackling fastball for seven sharp innings. With a trip to the next round on the line, Holmes (one IP) and Weaver (one IP) split the final six outs, securing the Yanks’ second ALCS appearance in three years and their third during Boone’s managerial tenure (2019, ’22, ’24).

“That’s why it’s so important getting a lead,” Judge said. “You get a lead, get our starter feeling comfortable and then hand it off to that bullpen. They’re so electric. We’ve got so many different guys that can match up well against different types of hitters. So hats off to them. It’s about getting the lead and throwing it to those guys.”