Sal: Yankees have several problems beyond Clay Holmes, have not been very good for months

The Yankees dropped a series to the sub-.500 Tigers on Sunday night after Clay Holmes and the bullpen coughed up another late lead in the Little League Classic.

The loss led to Holmes and the bullpen being put under the spotlight of criticism yet again, but Sal says the team’s problems run deeper than just the struggling Holmes and the lack of a shutdown closer with October approaching.

“I think there was a severe overreaction to the Yankees winning five straight after they got swept by the Mets and lost that Friday night game to the Red Sox,” Sal said. “There was a severe overreaction for a team that played the second-worst baseball, only to the worst team in baseball history, for a seven-week stretch. Since then, the Yankees are [8-7] against the Blue Jays, Angels, Rangers, White Sox, and now the Tigers. That’s not good.

“It’s not just Clay Holmes. It’s the offense as well. It’s the starting pitching...the reality is, they’re a flawed team. Like everybody else, yes, but they have flaws.”

The Yankees are still tied for first place in the AL East and are tied for the most wins in all of baseball, but Sal says there are real concerns that some spurts of success have covered up, though a lack of a true top team in the league this year means that there is still hope in the Bronx.

“Grade it however you want. They’re 8-7 over 15 games against those teams,” Sal said. “Clay Holmes isn’t the only issue here...the Yankees have been, for eight or nine weeks now outside of a five-game stretch, not very good overall.”