Luis Gil was ripped for 7 runs in 1.1 innings in the hot heat on a Thursday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, game time start 4pm on a 93-degree day.
The bullpen didn’t do much better — allowing 10 runs in 7.2 innings — although that bullpen included Tim Hill, who wasn’t on the team the day before, and Jose Trevino, who pitched the 9th.
Down 7-0 in the 2nd, the Yankees came back to within 8-3 in the 3rd on homers by Gleyber Torres and Aaron Judge — but Tim Hill coughed up a 3-run homer to Anthony Santander in the 5th to put Baltimore up 11-3.
Both Caleb Ferguson and Victor Gonzalez allowed 2 runs each in the 7th and 8th — the Orioles banged out 19 hits and only had 1 inning (the 4th) where they didn’t score.
“Obviously he’s in the midst of a great year, and this doesn’t change that,” said manager Aaron Boone afterwards. “This is one bump in the road and frankly it’s always an opportunity to grow and learn from, which he’s done a great job of all year.”
Boone said he didn’t see anything wrong with Gil’s delivery. “Stuff was still really good today; maybe not as crisp with certain things. They got after him today; didn’t miss some heaters in the center of the plate; that’s been uncommon. We’ll evaluate this outing; the pitching group will get together and evaluate it, and see where we can make tweeks to get better for the next one.”
When asked if Gil was tipping pitches and if the Orioles had a tell on what he was throwing, Boone said “we’ll look at all of it.”
NY falls to 51-26, only .5 ahead of Baltimore which is 49-25.
1. Gil Bombed
It was Red Hot outside — a suffocating 93 degrees with a brilliant sun burning down at the 4 pm start time in the Bronx. Gunnar Henderson ripped a line drive to right on the first pitch of the game — it should have been an out but Juan Soto misplayed it — and it went over his head for a double.
Gil then got Adley Rutschman to ground out and struck out Ryan Mountcastle. Had Soto caught the line drive the inning would have been over. But it wasn’t — and Ryan O’Hearn singled in a run to make it 1-0 Baltimore.
Gil got Anthony Santander for the final out, and it was not a bad 1st inning. Baltimore 1 NY 0.
But Cole Irvin got the Yankees out 1-2-3 and Gil was right back out there in the hot sun.
Jordan Westburg started the 2nd with a single, and Cedric Mullins ripped a homer to right and it was 3-0 Baltimore.
Gil got Austin Hays to ground out, but walked Ramon Urias on 4 straight balls and then the hits just kept coming as Gil seemed defeated in the hot sun:
Gunnar Henderson singled to center.
Rutschman singled to right to load the bases,
Mountcastle doubled to left, clearing the bases, making it 6-0 Baltimore.
“A few more inches toward shortstop and it’s a double play,” said Suzyn Waldman on the radio. That’s baseball Suzyn.
Gil seemed like he needed shade and a rest bit; instead there was no hiding for him as he was stuck in the hot sun. He walked O’Hearn on a 3-2 changeup.
Gil went 3-0 on Santander — then threw a fastball down the middle and Santander singled to right — loading the bases again, and
Gil hit Westburg with a 2-2 pitch, forcing in a run — and was gone. Baltimore 7 NY 0 and bases still loaded.
Michael Tonkin came in and did a great job — getting the next 2 batters — a pop out and strike out.
2. Gleyber HR Makes It 7-1
Gleyber Torres hit a 2-out homer off Cole Irvin in the bottom of the 2nd — and talk on the radio was that it was early and maybe the Yanks could start chipping away.
3. Judge Bomb Makes It 8-3; Giancarlo Just Missed
Tonkin allowed a run in the top of the 3rd on a 1-out walk, double, walk, and sac fly — making it 8-1 Baltimore.
But with 2 outs in the bottom of the 3rd — the Yanks chipped away some more — Juan Soto with a 2-out walk and Aaron Judge — who had missed the prior game after being hit on the hand by a pitch — ripped a homer to right-center. Baltimore 8 NY 3 — and hope.
Giancarlo Stanton next batter hit a HIGH DRIVE to left that looked like it would be a homer — but it died and was an easy fly out.
4. Hill? Coughs Up 3-Unearned-Run HR to Make It 11-3
Tommy Kahnle was the one bright spot of the Yankee pitching on the day — allowing a leadoff double in the 4th, but then getting the next 3 batters for a shutout inning — striking out the last 2.
Yanks Throw Hill to the Hill
In need of pitchers, Aaron Boone went to Tim Hill for the 5th — a lefty side-winder who the Yanks had just picked up the night before after being waived by the White Sox.
Chicago had waived the 34-year-old Hill after a rough patch ballooned his ERA to 5.87. However, Hill has not allowed a HR yet this year and his 65.6% groundball rate is 3rd amongst relievers — behind Clay Holmes and Baltimore’s Yennier Cano. The Yankees signed Hill to a 1-year MLB contract.
Hill allowed a leadoff double to Gunnar Henderson, who promptly stole 3rd on Trevino. Hill then got Rutschman to ground out — and the Yanks got Henderson at home.
Mountcastle then hit a grounder to 3rd — but an error by Oswaldo Cabrera allowed Mountcastle to get on.
Oswaldo made up for the error on the next play — snaring a liner by Ryan O’Hearn for what should have been the 3rd out.
But then Anthony Santander hit a 3-run homer to right center to make it 11-3 Baltimore and all hope seemed extinguished for the Yanks.
5. Yanks score 2 in 5th to make it 11-5
The Yanks kept coming however, and it was still early. Oswaldo Cabrera worked a 1-out walk against Irvin in the bottom of the 5th, and Anthony Volpe doubled to right — putting runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out.
Juan Soto grounded out for a run, and Aaron Judge singled in another — and it was an 11-5 game.
That drove Irvin from the game — he did not qualify for a win.
Bryan Baker came in and Giancarlo Stanton greeted him with a single — putting runners on the corners.
The Yanks were a 3-run homer away from being back in the game — but Alex Verdugo grounded out to 2nd.
6. Caleb & Victor Allow 2 Runs Each
Baltimore just kept hitting all game — getting 2 runs off Caleb Ferguson in the 7th and 2 runs off Victor Gonzalez in the 8th.
7. Trevino Pitches the 9th
Jose Trevino‘s arm has been the center of controversy the last few games, after Boston stole 9 bases on him Sunday night, and he threw a ball into left field in the 10th inning to cause the Yanks to lose the prior game to Baltimore.
But Trevino was on the mound to pitch for the 2nd time this season — and he threw 57 MPH to 68 MPH fastballs over the middle in the 9th — pitching a 1-run inning (double, ground out, single, line out, walk, RBI single, and ground out).
Nick Vespi pitched the 9th for Baltimore — a 1-2-3 inning for the old ballgame.
