The 27-time World Champion Yankees aren’t usually ones for moral victories. They don’t normally need to be graded on a curve.
But these aren’t ordinary times in The Bronx.
Yes, the Yankees lost 3-0 again Sunday night to their rival Red Sox before another nearly packed house at Yankee Stadium and a national TV audience. That made it 16 defeats in 22 games. But at least 45,250 fans did have something to applaud for a second straight game.
The latest loss ended on a real downer, a strikeout of the great Aaron Judge by Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen (who passed K-Rod in career saves but was said not to interest the Yankees weeks ago, back when Boston looked like a seller; now like the Yankees they are in wild-card position). Anyway, earlier fans did happily cheer the almost-completely dominating performance by young Yankees starter Luis Gil.
“Very encouraging part to a tough end to a tough series,” manager Aaron Boone noted afterward about Gil’s outing.
Series defeats to Boston now bookend this unexpected, unhappy stretch, and the Yankees still have worries aplenty.
Most of the rest of a rotation that carried an MLB-worst 7.37 ERA over the previous 19 games is still trending down.
The bullpen that’s posted a 5.17 ERA over that same span continues to look less than airtight.
The lineup still appears so top-heavy that it might tip over.
And yet, the last two games were better. The three-homer game Saturday by sudden sensation Ben Rice was a real New York treat, and the first such game by a Yankees rookie (which is something since the sport’s marquee franchise has had a ton of great rookies, naturally).
The story of Rice, the Boston kid and Dartmouth alum who was a 12th-round flyer after Yankees scouts noticed him playing in pickup games in Northborough and Duxbury, Mass., with the Ivy League schedule canceled by COVID two years running, is nothing short of a miracle. They may need more.
Rice’s performance in the 14-4 win Saturday was a showstopper. But Gil’s night might mean more. Arguably the best pitcher in baseball through the first eight weeks, Gil saw his ERA rise from 1.82 to 3.41, costing him a spot on the All-Star team. But he was back on his game Sunday.
Yankees people were thrilled — and relieved — to see Gil recapture the form that made him an April and most of May sensation. If not for consummate Yankee killer Rafael Devers delivering his first of two solo homers in the seventh inning, Gil’s outing would have been unblemished.
Gil, a source of only pride through his first 12 starts but mostly frustration through the next four, was noted before the game as “a work in progress” by manager Aaron Boone.
Well, this definitely counted as real progress.
Gil struck out nine, walked none and allowed just four hits through 6 ²/₃ brilliant innings. Unfortunately, Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford was even better, posting seven shutout innings. Which is the story of the past three-plus weeks.
Gil hit 99 mph at least a half-dozen times, wowing a crowd that was hungry for a victory that would have given the Yankees their first series win in nearly a month. The last one came against the upstart, wide-eyed Royals, a nice, improving team.
This one would have meant a ton more. However, Yankees hitters couldn’t muster much against Crawford. Their best hope came in the seventh when Juan Soto started the inning by doubling to right-center field only to be stranded when Judge struck out, Alex Verdugo grounded out and Anthony Volpe lined out sharply to left field.
“It’s never fun this way, but it’s part of the game,” Soto said. “I think we’ve got everything we need. We’ve just got to keep our chin up.”
Gil was a revelation early in the year but the Yankees had to tamp down their expectations following a stretch where his ERA rose by a run and a half. They believe in the talent. He gave them good reason to wonder whether his time is now, however. Understandably, they view him as a diamond in the rough.
“[Gil] is a very raw pitcher in his baseball life and career,” Boone said.
The Yankees are needing to rely on the kids now, as many of the veterans are sliding, slumping or otherwise not producing.
Marcus Stroman’s ERA is up nearly a point in his past few starts, from 2.60 to 3.58.
Carlos Rodon’s is up a point and a half, from 2.93 to 4.45.
Soto and Judge still aren’t getting enough help, either.
DJ LeMahieu’s OPS nudged above .500, thanks to a rare extra-base hit.
Gleyber Torres, who missed a second straight game with a tight groin, has looked tight all year.
Volpe is great in the field but at bat lately he’s looking suspiciously like 2023 Volpe.
Gil seems to have fixed whatever was causing his problems. But to list and explain all the other issues would take a lot more space than I have here.
