The New York Yankees took a beating from AL-East rivals Baltimore Orioles this week as they endured back to back losses for the first time since April this year. The series finale was absolutely brutal on the Yanks as not only the starting pitcher but also the bullpen imploded on the mound.
Interestingly, Luis Gil, the rookie starting pitcher, was blamed solely for the 17-5 loss as his uncharacteristic start ousted Yanks out off the contest in the second innings of the game itself. However, despite the gut wrenching loss, New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge wholeheartedly backed Luis Gil.
Aaron Judge Dismisses Concerns Surrounding Luis Gil’s Hideous Start Vs Orioles
In what turned out to be the New York Yankees’ worst game of the year, the Baltimore Orioles took a 17-5 victory against the hosts at the Yankee Stadium on Thursday. Luis Gil, the rookie starter, allowed 7 earned runs in just 1.1 innings before manager Aaron Boone rushed in to remove him from the mound. The Yanks never recovered from the early implosion, and the game turned into a nightmare after the relief pitchers also let the team down. Gil, who has been a leading All-Star contender, pitched a rare and uncharacteristic start that left the fans concerned. However, captain Aaron Judge jumped into the defence of his pitcher and reaffirmed his belief in the starter.
Aaron Judge said Luis Gil had been a champion starter for the New York Yankees this year. And one odd outing every now and then is a part of baseball. “Every five days, [you] check the [box score, and you see] 10 K’s for seven innings. Days like this happen,” Judge said. Notably, the captain’s assessment is correct to some extent. Gil won multiple AL awards for his record stretch in May, during which he registered seven consecutive scoreless starts. Gil still holds the best record (9-2) amongst the Yankees rotation with a 2.77 ERA in 15 starts. At the end of the day, Luis is still a rookie and has to be cut some slack. He has been an anchor for the rotation over the likes of Carlos Rodon and Nestor Cortes. Moreover, with the return of ace Gerrit Cole, the amount of responsibilities and pressure on Gil will come down significantly.
Yankees Take Strange Roster Call After Orioles Blowout
After an embarrassing series loss to AL-East rivals Baltimore Orioles, the New York Yankees took some bold and surprising roster calls to shuffle the bullpen. Victor Gonzalez has been designated for assignment despite carrying a 3.86 ERA in 27 games. Phil Bickford was instead added to the rotation in what happened to be the team’s latest signing.
Additionally, Ron Marinaccio was optioned back to Triple-A to make space for Right-hander Yoendrys Gomez. Indeed, Gonzalez’s ouster took the fans by surprise. But the Yankees believes its in the best interest of the team. Off lately, the Yanks bullpen have developed cracks which were duly exposed in Orioles series. Hence, the scuffle was rather a necessity than a tactical option.
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