CHICAGO — A minimum of on the pitching aspect, the Yankees might not have a much bigger wild card heading down the stretch than Luis Gil.
The reigning AL Rookie of the Yr flashed extra glimpses of his outdated self on Sunday afternoon, even whereas nonetheless leaving one thing to be desired in one other stable begin earlier than the Yankees fell to the White Sox 3-2 at Charge Discipline.
Gil allowed a pair of runs throughout 5 ¹/₃ innings whereas placing out seven and strolling two (each on 4 pitches).
“Nonetheless discovering it a bit bit,” supervisor Aaron Boone mentioned. “Type of a artful efficiency the place he's looking for his supply, making an attempt to be within the zone extra. So he's including and subtracting a bit bit with the fastball. Made a whole lot of good pitches, although, and for essentially the most half restricted the site visitors.
“Hopefully we are able to simply begin to construct the place the command and management is there with the stuff following.”
Gil's command has been a difficulty since he returned from the injured listing after lacking the primary 4 months of the season with a lat pressure, which is why on Sunday (and in his earlier begin) he got here out along with his velocity intentionally down earlier than ramping it up all through the sport.
“I believe once you're making an attempt to not stroll hitters, you set some [on] and also you subtract some velo,” Gil mentioned via an interpreter. “Total, that's been serving to me to do what I need to do within the strike zone.”
Gil gave up back-to-back doubles within the second inning that allowed the White Sox to tie the sport.
However he retired 10 straight into the sixth inning earlier than throwing a slider on the surface nook to Colson Montgomery, who drilled it to middle for a solo shot that tied the sport at 2-2.
Although he has not accomplished six innings in any of his six begins, the Yankees consider he takes steps in the appropriate route, although they might want to start seeing it come to fruition quickly.
“I'm feeling extra snug, positively,” Gil mentioned. “Discovering a greater groove, attacking the zone, and each outing, I preserve getting nearer to the place I used to be final yr. That's what we're striving for.”
Austin Slater went 0-for-2 with a stroll whereas enjoying six innings in proper discipline in his second rehab sport Sunday with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Boone indicated he may have a 3rd sport Tuesday (the minor leagues are off on Mondays) earlier than the Yankees would activate him.
Lefty reliever Brent Headrick (left forearm contusion) is eligible to be activated off the injured listing any day now, however with lefty Ryan Yarbrough set to return from his personal IL stint on Tuesday, Headrick is probably going headed again to Triple-A as soon as he's wholesome.
The Yankees wearing Western put on for his or her journey to Texas on Sunday, with many gamers — together with Aaron Decide, Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Volpe and Jasson Domínguez — sporting cowboy hats and boots whereas doing their greatest impression of Trent Grisham.
