Yankees reliever says he 'blacked out' in save situation

The New York Yankees finally tried an alternative to Clay Holmes in the ninth inning of a close game against the Chicago Cubs on Friday.

Luke Weaver stepped up and nailed down the first save of his career, and he was beyond amped by the opportunity.

“I couldn’t see straight,” Weaver said, per New York Post reporter Greg Joyce . “I was blacked out for the most part. I was on pure adrenaline. But it was a great time. It’s an honor to be able to go out there and try to get three of the most important outs in the ballgame and try to get the momentum going on our side.”

Weaver’s performance should give Yankees fans hope after they’ve watched Holmes blow an MLB-leading 11 saves. With New York half a game out of first place in the AL East, Holmes is an easy scapegoat. The Bronx Bombers would be on top of the division with just one less blown save.

And even if Weaver falters once the novelty of closing games wears off, he’s proven that Holmes isn’t the only option. Guys like Jake Cousins could also tap into an adrenaline rush when thrust into the closer role — and hard-throwing Ian Hamilton is set to return Saturday , providing yet another high-leverage arm to test.

Weaver’s save wasn’t the only promising performance in the Yankees victory on Friday. Luis Gil gave fans another reason for optimism about New York's chances in the playoffs. The 26-year-old righty gave up just one hit over six innings in his first start since straining his back on Aug. 21.

Gil could even be a closer candidate in the postseason if the Yankees are still worried about how many innings he’s racking up in his first full MLB season. Having tossed 134.1 innings (counting his recent rehab start) this year, he’s already 26.1 innings ahead of his previous career high of 108.2 frames navigated across all levels in 2021.

Should New York play it safe with the youngster, he could be a nuclear option out of the bullpen. The 96.7-mph average velocity of his four-seamer would likely jump up as he empties the tank in truncated outings, either locking down middle innings or as a closer.

But in the meantime, Yankees manager Aaron Boone should let Weaver ride his adrenaline through the ninth inning a few more times. It's better than another episode of Clay “Sherlock” Holmes and the mystery of the missing final out.