Wednesday night’s game between the Royals and Yankees in the Bronx is meaningless for both teams, the vast majority of players, and perhaps even many fans in attendance. But it carries tremendous importance to the man on the hill for the home team: Joba Chamberlain.
Had Joba’s start 10 days ago in Seattle been his last of the regular season, manager Joe Girardi would have been fretting on the team’s flight to Anaheim that night.
In the outing against the Mariners, Chamberlain’s first after a brief reinstatement of the “Joba Rules” was lifted, the righty was shelled for seven runs in just three innings of work. It was worrisome for the Yankees because Joba was being billed as their fourth starter for the postseason, but fortunately, there was still time for the mercurial 24-year-old to right the ship.
Chamberlain did just that against the Red Sox last Friday night, outdueling Jon Lester and a slew of relievers to hold the potent Boston lineup to three runs over six innings and earning his first victory since Aug. 6. Perhaps most telling, Chamberlain walked only one batter during those half-dozen frames, after issuing three free passes in the debacle against the Mariners.
The pinstripes and their fans collectively breathed a deep sigh of relief – at least temporarily.
When Chamberlain takes the mound for his final start of the regular season against Kansas City, he will do so looking to build off that start against the Red Sox, and breed confidence in the mind of his skipper and in the minds of Yankees fans. A solid performance will do just that. A Seattle-like disaster will reduce the last two weeks to one step forward, two steps back.
Chamberlain faced the Royals in his first assignment of the year, tossing six innings and allowing three runs (one earned) in a 6-4 New York loss. In that game, he allowed four hits and a walk, while fanning five. This time, the final score does not matter – the Yankees will be perfectly content with a repeat of that performance from the young right-hander.
The problem for Chamberlain is that the aforementioned start against Boston marked the first time he’s pitched past the fourth inning of a game since Aug. 25. And he coughed up seven runs in that loss to the Rangers as well. Clearly, consistency hasn’t been his strong suit.
The Royals’ offense that Chamberlain will face on Wednesday ranks second-to-last in the American League in runs and dead last in OPS. It’s a lineup he should be able to dominate. But so was that of the Mariners, and the results weren’t pretty in that game.
Chamberlain’s last outing may affect more than just his own status for the playoffs. It could also impact the Yankees’ decision on which division series format to choose. If Joba looks ready for a starting assignment against the Tigers – a team he’s dominated to the tune of a 1.02 ERA in 17 2/3 innings – New York may choose the four-starter version because of its superior rotation depth. Otherwise, the pinstripes are all but certain to take advantage of the extra day off and go with the three-starter ALDS, perhaps using Chamberlain as a multi-inning option out of the bullpen, along with Chad Gaudin.
A matchup between a team that has clinched its league’s top seed and one that has long been eliminated rarely carries any significance. But it may well be the biggest start of the season for Joba Chamberlain.
