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#Yankees’ Aroldis Chapman works extra to close out Indians

“#Yankees’ Aroldis Chapman works extra to close out Indians”

CLEVELAND — If the Indians are getting eliminated from the playoffs at home, there’s a good chance Aroldis Chapman is on the scene — and working more than his share.

The Yankees’ closer clocked two innings Wednesday night, into Thursday morning, to shut down the Indians, 10-9 at Game 2 of this American League Wild Card Series at Progressive Field. He entered the game with none out and two on in the eighth, the game tied at 8-8 and saw Cleveland go ahead on Cesar Hernandez’s soft single to left field, only to strike out the ultra-dangerous Jose Raimrez before Gio Urshela made a spectacular, diving stop on Carlos Santana’s hard grounder to start a 5-4-3 double play.

That set the Yankees in motion for their two-run, ninth-inning rally off Indians closer Brad Hand, and Chapman came out to close out his own win, striking out Tyler Naquin to secure the Yankees’ sweep in this best-of-three competition.

“I feel great, thank God. That’s the first thing,” Chapman said through an interpreter. “You want to feel good physically, but I’ve got to say I came in today and I was locked in. I knew there was a chance that if they needed me, I wanted to be ready to go in the eighth and pitch the ninth as well.”

Aroldis Chapman and Gary Sanchez celebrate after the Yankees' 10-9 series-clinching win over the Indians. — Aroldis Chapman and Gary Sanchez celebrate after the Yankees’ 10-9 series-clinching win over the Indians.Getty Images

“I thought Chappy threw the ball great to finish things off,” Aaron Boone said.

Never before, in his three seasons on the job, had Boone asked Chapman for so much. Chapman, who missed the start of this season when he tested positive for the novel coronavirus, last recorded six outs in Game 5 of the 2017 AL Division Series, when the Yankees ousted the Indians here under Joe Girardi. And the year before that save, he notched the win for the Cubs in the legendary Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, the Cubs rallying to capture their first title since 1908 after Chapman served up a shocking, game-tying homer to the Indians’ Rajai Davis.

Chapman hopes this crazy win will point toward the Yankees toward their first championship since 2009. “We were able to win the series,” he said, “and now we move onto the next one.”