Bullpen of the Week: Chapman lends relief

It was already hard enough before this week for opposing hitters to stage a rally against the back end of the Yankees’ bullpen. Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller had combined to allow just four earned runs in their first 25 2/3 innings pitched, striking out 49 percent (47-of-96) of the batters they faced.

Last Monday morning, New York was already 10-0 when leading after seven innings. But that day marked the introduction of new Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman, making his season debut after serving a 30-game suspension for MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse policy. Chapman, who threw the 77 fastest pitches in the Majors a year ago, brought excitement to every corner of Yankee Stadium this week — including his own dugout.

BULLPEN OF THE WEEK WINNERS Week Team 1 A’s 2 Twins 3 Nationals 4 Phillies

“Everybody is so anxious to see him,” said fellow Yankees reliever Kirby Yates. “It’s really cool. You can feel the excitement.”

With Chapman joining the staff, New York’s back end became even more dominant, elevating its status to “Bullpen of the Week presented by The Hartford.”

As part of the MLB Prevailing Moments program, each Monday throughout the 2016 season, MLB.com is honoring the “Bullpen of the Week presented by The Hartford.” An industry-wide panel of MLB experts, including legendary stats guru Bill James, constructed a metric based on James’ widely renowned game-score formula, to provide a weekly …

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