The New York Yankees had lost the first two games of this series to the Baltimore Orioles in their first series of the season against each other. Runs have been hard to come by all series and this was the case tonight as well, as both pitching staffs have done a great job limiting damage. Luis Gil would get the ball in a tough assignment, facing a strong lineup and trying to outduel former National League Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes. It’s not as if Burnes is off to a slow start either, as he’s been one of the top pitchers in the game.
Despite the mismatch, Gil outshined one of the best pitchers in baseball, Oswaldo Cabrera came through with a two-run home run, and Clay Holmes nailed down a five-out save to hand the Yankees their 20th win of the year.
Luis Gil Shines As the Yankees Get an Impressive Road Win
The Yankees would need a flawless performance from their starter if they wanted a chance against one of the best pitchers on the planet, and Luis Gil delivered 6.1 innings of scoreless baseball, walking just one batter and striking out five in the process. He was efficient, effective, accurate, and dominant on the night, mixing in all of his pitches well and keeping Baltimore off-balance.
At first, it seemed the Yankees would waste his efforts, but Oswaldo Cabrera would come through with a two-run blast off of Corbin Burnes to score the only runs of the game on either side. He desperately needed a strong showing, especially after a recent skid that brought into question whether he’d remain the everyday starter or not at the hot corner. Jon Berti had a stiff back, and therefore his return to the team remains up in the air.
Caleb Ferguson relieved Luis Gil in the seventh, picking up two HUGE strikeouts against the only two batters he faced, as he’s come around after a slow start. Ian Hamilton would follow in the eighth, but after a walk, hit-by-pitch, and pop out, Boone made a gusty call. Instead of letting Hamilton work out of it, he called upon Clay Holmes, who picked up two strikeouts to end the inning.
After allowing an infield single in the ninth, Holmes would bear down and pick up his third strikeout, collecting two more outs without breaking a sweat. He has yet to allow a run on the season, and by collecting his 10th save, the Yankees are now 20-12 on the season, the first AL team to have at 20 wins on the year. They’ll kick off the rubber game of this four-game set tomorrow at 1:05 PM, with Carlos Rodon on the mound against a starter who has yet to be announced.