BALTIMORE — Clay Holmes didn’t have much help behind him in Sunday’s 6-5 loss to the Orioles, but he wasn’t at the top of his game, either.
The closer, who made the American League All-Star team for the second time in three years, blew his second save in his last four chances.
The main culprits at Camden Yards, by their own admission, were Anthony Volpe and Alex Verdugo, who both made fielding blunders in the bottom of the ninth that cost them the game.
But Holmes was again not at his best in giving up three unearned runs in the gut-wrenching loss heading into the All-Star break.
As Aaron Boone put it, “Clay did his job. … He wasn’t perfect, but he made enough pitches.”
Without the defensive breakdowns, the Yankees leave Baltimore with a three-game sweep, but Holmes also allowed two walks and a single before the miscues by Volpe and Verdugo.
The closer called his lack of command, “Not ideal.”
“I didn’t have my best stuff, but I did my best to compete out there,’’ Holmes said. “It makes things a little tougher.”
After a leadoff pinch-hit single by Kyle Stowers, he got Cole Cowser to ground into a force out.
But Holmes followed by walking pinch-hitter Ryan O’Hearn to put the tying runs on base.
Holmes recovered to get Gunnar Henderson looking for the second out and then switch-hitter Adley Rutschman walked to load the bases before Volpe and Verdugo’s gaffes doomed him.
A grounder to shortstop that Volpe called “routine” turned into an ugly error, when Volpe’s footwork got tangled up and he booted the ball to allow Cowser to score and make it a one-run game.
Cedric Mullins Jr. then hit an opposite-field fly ball to left that Verdugo broke in on and was unable to recover.
The ball landed over his head for a game-ending double.
“Those are two of our best defensive guys,’’ Holmes said of Verdugo and Volpe. “Volpe’s won a Gold Glove and is incredible. Same with [Verdugo]. He gives so much effort out there. I’ll take him in left field over just about anybody. They’re two tough plays, but we all know that’s not them.”
It was a discouraging way for the Yankees and Holmes to end the first half.
After a mostly dominant first 30 appearances, Holmes has been much less effective over his last 10 outings. He’s allowed 13 hits, 12 runs — eight earned — in just 9 ²/₃ innings.
The two walks issued Sunday were the first by Holmes during this rough stretch.