Top pitching prospect Luis Gil was promoted to New York Yankees star-studded rotation at the last minute as ace Gerrit Cole landed on IL with an elbow injury. Gil outbid his minor league competitions with a stellar spring and earned his position with sheer hard work and execution.
However, the New York Yankees didn’t necessarily set high expectations from Luis Gil, given his lack of exposure in the majors. But Gil turned out to be the biggest surprising package this year as he is filling into Cole’s shoes to rack up back-to-back best career outings, with the latest heroics coming against the Mariners in the series finale.
Luis Gil Keeps Mariners Hitters At Bay In Yankees Critical Series Finale
In a recently concluded series finale against the Seattle Mariners, Luis Gil was nothing short of spectacular in his start. Pitching 6.1 scoreless innings, he struck out 8 batters and allowed only one hit and two walks. His dominant performance was instrumental in securing a crucial win for the Yankees, and it also marked a significant milestone in his budding career. Having been added to the rotation as backup, Gil has not only repaid the team’s trust but also outplayed some of his prolific rotation peers. His season ERA has reduced to 2.11 ERA with 70 strikeouts. Moreover, with two back-to-back dominant outings, Gil is currently the favorite to earn his career’s first AL Pitcher of the Month award.
That being said, following the heroics against the Mariners, Luis Gil thanked the almighty spirits for giving him these valuable opportunities. Further reflecting on his pre-game training, Gil said it’s important for him to stick to a certain routine. “Make sure you do the same thing and prepare the same way to put yourself in the best position possible,” said Gil via a translator. Meanwhile, Yankees manager Aaron Boone also endorsed Gil as one of the best pitchers in the league presently. Boone added that Gil is an amazing and exciting talent who is getting better with each major league start. He has a great ceiling, and finally, witnessing him deliver to his potential is a great sight for Boone. However, Gil’s heroics will cause a big conundrum for the skipper, as upon Gerrit Cole’s return, he would be liable to make tough rotation decisions.
Gerrit Cole Turns Coach For Luis Gil To Pull Him Out Of A Jam
Before Luis Gil walked off to a standing ovation on Thursday, he saw some traffic on the base with two hitters on base on two outs. He was facing Luke Raley on 1-2 count when ace Gerrit Cole, keenly watching Gil from the dugout, sent signals to calm Gil down.
At the very next moment, Luis Gil ended up striking out Raley to walk out of the jam and keep the Seattle Mariners scoreboard nil. Moreover, as Gil returned to the dugout after his career-best start, Gerrit Cole showed up to congratulate him. Indeed, Cole is a testament to being a complete team player.
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