Why Yankees’ Dellin Betances credits bullpen coach for his revival

NEW YORK –Yankees reliever Dellin Betances didn’t feel like his old self striking out the side working a 1-2-3 eighth in Saturday night’s Subway Series game at Citi Field. That would be shortchanging the 6-foot-8 righty’s take on his outing. “That’s probably the best I’ve felt … ever,” Betances said after the Yankees’ 4-3 comeback win over the Mets. How…

NEW YORK —Yankees reliever Dellin Betances didn’t feel like his old self striking out the side working a 1-2-3 eighth in Saturday night’s Subway Series game at Citi Field. That would be shortchanging the 6-foot-8 righty’s take on his outing.

“That’s probably the best I’ve felt … ever,” Betances said after the Yankees’ 4-3 comeback win over the Mets.

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It took Betances just 11 pitches to strike out Todd Frazier, Brandon Nimmo and Asdrubal Cabrera, the Mets’ two, three and four hitters.

“I think my fastball is good, my breaking ball is good,” Betances said, “and I’ve said it a couple times already: Even when things weren’t going as good (in April) when I was giving up a couple runs, it’s probably the best I’ve felt in a while … or the best I’ve thrown the ball since I’ve been here.”

That’s saying something because the four-time All-Star frequently was as dominating as any reliever in baseball from 2014 – his first full season in the bigs – until late last season when control problems turned him into the Yankees’ most unreliable reliever.

This year, Betances was hit around early on at times, but while throwing strikes, and now he’s back to being virtually unhittable. He’s allowed just one hit working seven scoreless innings over his last seven outings, and in his last four he’s allowed just one baserunner while striking out eight in four innings of work.

Why the turnaround?

Betances says that now he has a better gameplan thanks to bullpen coach Mike Harkey.

“Harkey is a guy who I rely on and I try to repeat everything that he tells me to do when I’m out there,” Betances said. “I think I’ve been listening a little more.”

Betances has lowered his ERA from 4.71 to 3.54 during his resurgence.

“I felt like earlier on I probably wasn’t throwing my fastball as good command wise,” he said. “It was catching too much plate. At times I was throwing too many breaking balls. I think I’m doing a better job of mixing my pitches and having a better gameplan and kind of trusting everything I have. I think that’s worked to my advantage.”

Betances fixed his control problems by being more consistent with his mechanics, and now he’s having success again by being more cerebral on the mound thanks to Harkey’s relentless tutoring.

“I try to look at what I can do to use my strength against their weakness,” Betances said. ‘Earlier in the year I felt like I was going out there and just throwing anything. My gameplan wasn’t as good.

“I was just going out there trying to throw whatever was called and now I think I’m trying to be two pitches ahead of what I want to do when I’m out there.”

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