New York Yankees infielder turned utility player Isiah Kiner-Falefa turned up to pitch on the mound during the 2-11 loss against the Minnesota Twins.
Thursday was a brutal night for the New York Yankees. They faced the Minnesota Twins for the first game of the series, and practically, nothing went right for them right from the start to the very end. The Twins scored as many as nine runs in the very first inning of the matchup and basically sealed the game. On the other hand, the Yankees tried to salvage the dead game but failed even further.
Jhony Brito went home as the main culprit of the loss, as he gave away seven runs in just 0.2 innings pitched. He had to be pulled out, and the team’s newest acquisition, Colten Brewer, came in to rescue. Little could he do to rescue the team, as he, too, gave away three runs. The pitching standards hit so low that the team had to call in utility player Isiah Kiner-Falefa to close the game in the ninth inning.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa Turns Up To Close Game On The Mound, Ends Day With An Unwanted Record
The New York Yankees have no pitching depth whatsoever this season due to persistent injury concerns. It visibly troubled them against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday. When Jhony Brito and Colten Brewer gave away the entire game in just one inning, the team struggled to find closers. It reached a point where they literally called in utility player Isiah Kiner-Falefa to pitch the ninth inning. Isiah, who hasn’t pitched since high school, turned up on the mound.
For what it’s worth, his short stint ended with a lot of drama. He threw the first pitch at 38 MPH, the lowest in the New York Yankees’ century-old history. He basically just passed the ball. Regardless, Isiah Kiner-Falefa went home scoreless and put a much-needed end to a disastrous game. Isiah has been under constant scrutiny for his failure in the infield. Hence, he transformed into a utility player to escape a possible trade. So far, he has had good outings in the outfield, and the Yankees, for that matter, continue to back him.
IKF Apparently Enjoyed His Time On The Mound
While the New York Yankees suffered a brutal 2-11 loss against the Minnesota Twins, Isiah Kiner-Falefa had a fun outing. He made his first-ever outing as a pitcher and ended it without giving away any runs. Further, speaking on the experience, Isiah said he had fun on the mound. While pitching is not something he intends to continue further, if the team needs him, he will always step up.
After the shutout inning, Isiah Kiner-Falefa played a humorous prank wherein he asked the umpires to do a substance check as people around looked shocked to see him pitch a scoreless inning. While the umpires ignored the request, the utility player said he just wanted to give a reason to smile at his teammates after a horrendous game.