Marcus Stroman, the starting pitcher for the New York Yankees, did not hold back when talking about his teammate Clay Holmes’ recent performance. But even though Holmes blew a four-run lead in the ninth inning against the Seattle Mariners, resulting in a 5-4 loss, Stroman still had his back. “Clay’s been unbelievable for us all year,” Stroman said of Holmes’ overall impact as the team’s closer.

Stroman wasn’t just paying lip service to Holmes. He recognized that it was a fluky rally by the Mariners—soft contact and some bad luck—rather than an indictment of Holmes’ ability as a pitcher late in games. “That’s just baseball,” Stroman said, nodding to its randomness and risk at those high-leverage moments.

Marcus Stroman’s faith isn’t entirely misplaced, either. While it stings to blow a save like this one, there’s more to consider about Holmes’ entire season worth remembering. Before this hiccup, he had been lights out at the back end of their bullpen, shutting down lineups every fifth day and delivering wins for his team.

What Stroman said also speaks to the importance of sticking together through tough times on a team—publicly supporting your guy in hard moments goes miles toward fostering that sense of unity within a clubhouse that can help lift everyone again soon when they need it most. But what happened to Holmes recently is still real as well.

Beyond Marcus Stroman: Examining the blemishes on Clay Holmes’ record

Holmes’ perfect ERA now has a number in it after today. He got himself into some trouble against Seattle because they hit him pretty softly, which could be telling teams something down the road if he doesn’t figure out how to pitch them better next time around. The specific events that led to a blown save also beg the question of command and selection. A leadoff single, then a walk, then an error that scores one run before several well-placed hits finally undid what should have been an easy win.

The Yankees’ pitching coach, Matt Blake, even visited the mound during the inning, a clear indication that Holmes was not his usual dominant self. Despite this intervention—and his past records of excellence, as Marcus Stroman pointed out—the damage had already been done, and the Yankees’ winning streak came to an abrupt end.

There are some things Holmes needs to figure out moving forward if he wants to get back on track. Whether that means cleaning something up in his mechanics, changing around how he’s throwing certain pitches, or simply finding a way to believe in himself again when things aren’t going so well, he has shown enough potential this season as one of baseball’s best closers, not only for Stroman’s sake but also for his own good.

As great as it is to have someone like Marcus Stroman behind you no matter what happens out there on that mound during any given game—and I mean truly great because who wouldn’t want a teammate like Marcus?—at some point though, I think we all know words can only do so much.