We have spent the first month or so of the 2021 Red Sox season singing the praises of Matt Barnes, and deservedly so.
The Red Sox closer has been absolutely nails, going 7-for-7 save chances, with opponents going 1-or-23 with 12 strikeouts and not a single a run.
But as hard as it is to believe, what Barnes' Yankees counterpart has managed is even more eye-opening.
After cruising through all three Astros batters he faced Wednesday, Aroldis Chapman has now 38 batters without allowing a single run. But most impressive has been how dominant the lefty has been while keeping his opposition scoreless, striking out 26 of the hitters and walking just three.
Chapman's last four times out has seen him strike out at least two of the three batters he faced in each appearance.
The performance has helped the Yankees vault into second-place in the American League East with five straight wins, sitting just 1 1/2 games behind the Red Sox.