Facts that are verifiable.

In the second half of the 2022 season, so-called "closer" Clay Holmes amassed four saves and pitched to a 4.84 ERA.

Eleven walks and four HBP in 21 innings.

He's the Perfect Guy to enter a game with men on base, don't you think? Too bad Chapman flaked out or maybe we could just blame him again and get the funny grimace on his face as he walks off the mound.

In all seriousness, at least Schmidt made the batter actually hit the ball. It wasn't the Chapman/Holmes Special they learned from A.J. Burnett and latter day Dellin Betances. Walk, walk, HBP, wild pitch, wild pitch, wild pitch. Three runs without swinging the bat.

I was actually surprised to see Holmes appear in Game One in a high leverage situation. Why was I surprised? Because he basically stinks.

Also, he isn't the closer and hasn't been for a while. There is no closer for the Yankees because no one is dominant enough to be reliable in the ninth inning.

Where have you all been?

Has Luis Severino been in a coma over the past two months, or something?

Chad Green is injured; Michael King is injured; even what's-his-name Scott Effross is injured.

I suppose in retrospect Lou Trivino could have been pushed to get out a few more betters.

Wandy Peralta has been great so far in the playoffs, a true champ. He also left the game with two runners on base in the ninth inning, didn't he?

OF COURSE, in retrospect, extending Peralta would have been a better decision. A team can only either Win or Lose. A better decision would have been Domingo German or Nestor Cortes, for that matter. Or not shifting vs. Ramirez. Or throwing a fastball instead of a slider. If Peralta had stayed in the game and given up a three-run home run to the next batter, it's not a worse loss, it's just a different Last Pitcher to blame.

Sorry, folks, have any of you ever watched a baseball game before?

Over in San Diego, Josh Hader with the negative WAR in 2022 and a recent history of buh-lowing it for Milwaukee in playoffs, just blows away the Dodgers. 

Who would have thunk it? 

Everyone, apparently.

Everyone knows everything in hindsight.