Aroldis Chapman’s second appearance after returning from left knee tendinitis went much better than his first, as he threw a perfect seventh inning, despite diminished velocity.
“I felt good,’’ Chapman said through an interpreter. “The speed wasn’t where it usually is, but my command was much better and that’s really important.”
He sat mostly at 95 mph with his fastball.
“That doesn’t worry me at all,’’ Chapman said after the Yankees’ 3-2 playoff-clinching victory over the Orioles in 11 innings on Saturday. “I know the speed is there. It’s just a matter of getting out there and my getting rhythm back. Maybe after two more outings I’ll be back to being the pitcher I’ve been.”
Chapman was one of six relievers to hold Baltimore scoreless.
“Obviously, our bullpen is so important to what we do,’’ manager Aaron Boone said. “I would imagine if we win big they’ll play a huge role. … Baltimore really held us down today. We had to keep throwing zeroes up.”
Luke Voit’s magical run continued with a homer in the playoff-clinching win.
“I’m having the time of my life,’’ Voit said. “This has been the craziest year of my life, man. Going up and down with St. Louis and spending a lot of time in Triple-A when I didn’t really think that was going to happen, it sucked, but I had to stay mentally strong. Luckily [GM] Brian Cashman gave me a chance to come over here.”
Voit arrived in a trade for Chasen Shreve and after coming up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he’s hit 11 homers for the Yankees.
Asked if he has wrapped his head around his whirlwind season, Voit laughed.
“I think I sort of wrapped my head around it when I forgot the subway systems every time I was heading to the field,’’ Voit said. “It’s been nothing but fun. It’s a lot at first, but what’s not to love?”
— Additional reporting by Greg Joyce and Kevin Kernan