Luis Gil was electric to start, but walked too many, and old man Brett Gardner hit a 3-run homer in the bottom of the 5th inning to tie the game and rejuvenate the Yanks (who had scored only 1 run in the first 22 innings of this 4 game set against Toronto). But it didn’t last long — it was the only 3 runs the Yanks would score as they lost again — the 3rd straight time in this 4-game series against the Blue Jays — this time by a score of 6-3.
1. Gil Fantastic, Wild Ride
Luis Gil started for the Yanks. He came into the game having pitched 11 shutout innings in 3 starts in the Major Leagues so far. And he pitched a shutout 1st, striking out 2, swinging.
And he pitched a shutout 2nd, striking out the side 1-2-3 — all swinging.
Luis Gil was FUN to watch.
3rd-Inning High-Wire Act
And then came the 3rd inning. A walk, a fly out, a walk, and a single loaded the bases with 1 out. Luis Gil had never allowed a run in the Major Leagues remember.
Bo Bichette hit a shot right back at Gil, who snared it, dropped it, picked it up, and fired a Strike to home for a force out. Two out!
Gil fumbles a comebacker but still throws home for a BIG second out pic.twitter.com/YLvwNlyCxO
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) September 9, 2021
And then — Gil went 3-0 on Teoscar Hernandez, before coming back with a strike down the middle, then a swinging strike, a foul ball — and on a 3-2 pitch — swing and a miss!
14 shutout innings to start Luis Gil’s Major League career.
LUIS GIL. pic.twitter.com/wtXjGhOf2y
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) September 9, 2021
All Came Undone in the 4th
In the 4th however, it all came undone.
Gil walked 3 straight after getting the leadoff batter on a fly out. Lucas Luetge came in — and threw a wild pitch for a run, got a pop out, and then allowed a 2-run single.
Luis Gil’s final line was horrible: 3 innings, 1 hit, 3 runs, 7 K’s, 8 walks.
2. Old Man Gardner Ties It
And so it was 3-0 Toronto into the bottom of the 5th with Alek Manoah pitching a gem, when with 2 out and two on (Joey Gallo‘s leadoff single and Rougned Odor‘s walk), old man Brett Gardner stepped up and rocked a 3-2 pitch to right for a game tying homer.
The Brett-eran. pic.twitter.com/gZtCapfvsH
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 9, 2021
3. Yank Bullpen Blows It
But the Yankee bullpen couldn’t hold it and the Yankee offense couldn’t score anymore. Clay Holmes allowed a 2-out single to Teoscar Hernandez in the 7th to plate Marcus Semien (who had led off with a single) and that was the old ballgame.
Toronto added insurance runs in the 8th off Green (Lordes Gurriel Jr led off with a triple and came in on a sac fly), and in the 9th off Aroldis Chapman (Vladimir Guerrero Jr.homered).
The Yankee offense could not score runs against Toronto’s bullpen of Trevor Richards, Adam Cimber, and Jordan Romano — who each pitched a shutout inning.
Etcetera
- Aaron Judge finally broke out of his multi-game slump with a hit — going 1-4 — his average at .291 now.
- Derek Jeter was inducted into the Hall of Fame in the afternoon at Cooperstown, before the game — and he was trending all day on Twitter. He made a fantastic speech. A snippet:
Jeter's message to the fans 💙 #JeterHOF pic.twitter.com/Yu4XzxMhQR
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 8, 2021
The Boxscore
https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401229150
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