Luis Gil’s last chance to bolster his case for AL Rookie of the Year doubled as an opportunity to help the Yankees wrap up the AL’s top seed.
The right-hander had a rough day on both fronts.
On a raw and rainy Saturday afternoon in The Bronx, Gil gave up a career-high four home runs as the Yankees fell to the Pirates 9-4.
Dueling against potential NL Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes — who pitched two dominant innings in a planned abbreviated outing — Gil gave up six runs across 5 ²/₃ innings in his final tuneup before the postseason, in which he still appears likely to draw a start in the ALDS.
Luis Gil allowed six runs during the Yankees’ loss to the Pirates on Sept. 28.Robert Sabo for the NY Post
“Couple pitches that kind of wrecked his outing a little bit,” manager Aaron Boone said of the home runs Gil gave up to Yasmani Grandal (a fastball at the top of the zone), Nick Gonzales (a hanging slider), Billy Cook (a changeup down the middle) and Jared Triolo (a fastball at the top of the zone).
Gil entered Saturday having given up just 14 home runs in 146 innings this season before allowing four in his final 5 ²/₃ innings of the regular season.
It marked only the second time this year Gil has given up multiple home runs in a game, the other being a two-homer game against the Brewers in April.
Still, the 26-year-old finished the regular season with a 3.50 ERA and 171 strikeouts across 151 ²/₃ innings.
Luis Gil pitched into the sixth inning during the Yankees’ loss on Sept. 28.Robert Sabo for the NY Post
Luis Gil gets pulled from the game during the Yankees’ loss to the Pirates on Sept. 28.Robert Sabo for the NY Post
It was much more than the Yankees could have expected after he missed most of the last two years after undergoing Tommy John surgery, only to become the injury replacement for Gerrit Cole late in spring training this year.
“It would be a blessing [to win the Rookie of the Year],” Gil said through an interpreter. “Just understanding where I come from, I come from a small town [Azua, Dominican Republic]. It would mean a lot for me and for my people back home and for us as an organization. But we’re closing the book on the regular season and now we’re going to shift our focus to the playoffs.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr. provided most of the Yankees offense on Saturday.
He collected their first hit of the day in the fifth inning, crushing a solo home run to the second deck in right field, before drilling an RBI double in the eighth.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. homered during the Yankees’ loss to the Pirates on Sept. 28.Robert Sabo for the NY Post
Chisholm is one of only four players this season to record at least 24 home runs and at least 40 steals, joining Shohei Ohtani, Jose Ramirez and Elly De La Cruz.
Coming into Saturday having homered in five straight games before resting on Friday, Aaron Judge went 0-for-5 with five strikeouts.
Aaron Judge reacts after striking out during the Yankees’ loss to the Pirates on Sept. 28.Robert Sabo for the NY Post
Juan Soto hit an RBI single in the seventh inning but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double, which was the third out of the inning.
Gleyber Torres and Anthony Volpe got Saturday off after playing on Friday when a handful of other Yankees regulars were out of the lineup.
In Torres’ place, Jasson Dominguez batted leadoff and Jon Berti played second base while Oswaldo Cabrera started at shortstop.
Will Warren, called up from Triple-A on Saturday morning (with Cody Poteet being optioned), gave up three runs in the ninth inning before being optioned after the game.
Will Warren struggled in his outing on Saturday for the Yankees.Robert Sabo for NY Post
The Yankees announced a crowd of 46,069 on Saturday, marking their 17th sellout of the season.
It was the third-most sellouts they have had in a single season at the new Yankee Stadium, trailing the 23 in 2018 and 20 in 2011.
SOurce : nypost.com
